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Review of February 2011
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February 2011
WTRASnowrunWIECTaddy inBarcelonaRideOffroadJordan RoseRide XCGrand Day OutHells GateJarvis’ revengeBESCKnight & Sagar split SprintDirt Bike TraxsNoakley Doakley Wyre ForestMudie BondWinter seriesSETRATidworth
Wor EventsMotul
MotoduroDirtBike-Action
HelmsleyFast Eddy
PutolineXC Rnd 2RideOffRoadUK
EllingtonBanks
Cotswold ECAMCA H&H
British YouthEnduro
Red MarleyTrue Grit
DriffieldPLUS
More AA
The Welsh Trail Ridersclassic timecard forestry Enduro
kicked off the new season in the Crychanand rained supreme .
The 2011 SnowrunReport & photos by Bob Mullins
Results
There was a real Caribbean atmosphere to the 2011 Snowrun as the Gulf Stream deposited a large proportion of it onto Mid Wales. All credit to the stalwarts of the Welsh Trail Riders Association who faced torrential rain and gales to lay out the course and the bleak weather was no better on race day. With gusts of wind up to 50 mph the start tent needed some heavy weights to hold it down, Thanks to Mike, Bob and Ray. At least it was warm for February and so was the competition. 6 Championship riders were entered including 3 previous winners. 2005 and 2006 premier Tom Sagar was on the Fast Eddy Racing.com KTM 450 and he loves the tough Welsh forests. John Hinam was riding his KTM for the last time before switching to Husaberg. He was hoping to repeat his 2008 win but last year's winner Gethin Price always does well in the wet. The 2011 Snowrun was the first round of the new ACU Twinshock Championship and 7 classic machines were lined up in the parc ferme.
From the start the riders tackled 2 long naggery sections connected by forestry roads before crossing the Tirabad road and entering the Crychan at the Cattle Grid. Clerk of the Course Phil Wilkinson had taped off a turn on the left which would have been a tough climb on the day. The ground around the Cortina is permanently wet and it soon began to cut up but there plenty of time for a breather past Five Roads and up Scrach.
There was an interesting climb over the chippings in the Old Snowrun Quarry. Ian Spence's 1978 Gori got stuck in 1st but he was able to carry on down the long straight and across the bridge at Bob Stick to Check 1. With a well stocked bumbag and some old fashioned technology Ian was able to replace his gear selector spring. Unfortunately veteran Paul Callard's bumbag did not contain any knobbles. Paul's WR was fitted with a trail rear tyre and he did well to get to Check 1.but the smell of Chris Lee's stew bubbling in the pot filled Paul with thoughts of Sunday lunch and home.
From Check 1 the riders crossed the valley and climbed the ridge by the Sand Quarry to a steep descent over thrashings. The first of the 2 tests began at the Beeches near the top of the Swimbath. There are several tracks lined with beech trees in the Crychan and WTRA used all 3 of them. For many riders their abiding memory of the 2011 Snowrun will be that "it was a beech". Steve Plain and his team did their best to keep the test course flowing as the going deteriorated. Craig Beattie wasn't too sure which was his best side for the camera so he went for the high side. The course exited the Crychan at the Picnic site and dropped down to the second test in Glyn Saer before the riders climbed onto the rocky sunken road - Cefn Ludlow. The right of way has been churned up recently and to the muddy going was added the extra challenge of 4 clowns in 4x4
exercised their right to be morons and drive again the course. There were 4 laps for the Championship and the Expert, 3 laps for the Clubman and Vets, 2 laps for the Sportsmen.
Despite his share of crashes Tom Sagar (right) won all 6 tests to take the Premier ahead of a grazed Jon Hinam. Andy Frost was 3rd with a clean card and Craig Reynolds finish 4th after dropping 6 minutes. Gethin Price retired after a heavy crash. Matt Ridgway also retired. He had a late entry to practise on forestry going ahead of next week's British Enduro Sprint Championship. Unfortunately he lost his grip on the race when he lost a grip off his bars. Gethin Humphrey's set the fastest test time of the day to win the Experts and Aled Jones was the runner up. David Lloyd Jones had an engine failure at the end of lap 2. Ian Barnett won the Evpert Vets ahead of Paul Davies. Anthony Hobbs pick up a painful eye injury when he split a lid. Graham Howes was lucky not be injured when 2 out of 4 of his handle bar bolts snapped. Richard Perkins was the best Clubman and Matthew Willey was the runner up. Frazer White was 3rd. Leighton Roberts was of several riders who ran out of pads. Michael Williams was going well until he lost his wheel nut at the start of the last lap. Neil Thomas won the Clubman Vets from Gary Newman. Dave Love lost his gearbox on the first lap. Dave Brick on a PE 250 was the best of the Twinshocks ahead of Jason Fraser on a Husqvarna WR250. They both kept on time and 5 out of the twinshock starters finished the day. Sadly Ian Spence had to retire when the exhaust on his Gori broke free
After the event Tom Sagar said the he enjoyed the ride despite the wet conditions and he looked forward to riding a British Championship in the Crychan in the future. Audio
KTM's Taddy Blazusiak clean sweeps Indoor Enduro at Barcelona KTM's Taddy Blazusiak may have had to settle for third in the first round of the World Enduro Championship in Genoa in November but on Sunday night the Polish extreme Enduro maestro won three finals in Round 2 in Barcelona to surge ahead in the points and set himself up to defend his title
On a night of action when KTM also presented the 2011 Enduro Factory Team and the new KTM 350 EXC-F Factory bike, it was extreme Enduro specialist Blazusiak and KTM's E3 world champion David Knight who saw most of blue ribbon action. Following Taddy's 3-way victory, David, riding the new 350 EXC-F factory bike, was the fastest qualifier and scored a 2-3-2 result for his efforts in the three finals.
Taddy in the box seat to take titleWith the championship trimmed to three instead of the initial five events, leaving only one more round, Taddy is now perfectly placed to reclaim his crown from last season. After picking up a perfect score of 60 points on Sunday, he surges to the front of the overall table with 103 points, 17-points ahead of Joakim Ljunggren of Sweden.
New team member Guerrero up with top ridersOn a night where many of the top riders were sidelined, KTM factory team boss Fabio Farioli said he was also satisfied with the performance of his newest recruit to the team lineup young Cristobal Guerrero who was riding in front of his home crowd. Guerrero was also onboard the new 350 bike and finished the night with a 5-7-6 result. Teammate Thomas Oldrati of Italy raced in the first two finals but had to retire from the third because he had hurt his shoulder in qualifying earlier in the day. Finland's Mika Ahola, the winner in Genoa's first round finished back at seventh and now has 73 points.
A triumph for the new 350 EXC.F factory bikeThe night was also a triumph for the new Enduro machine, which follows on from the 2010 release of the revolutionary 350 SX-F on which Tony Cairoli won the MX1 World Championship in its first season out. The new 350 EXC, in the experienced hands of David Knight was one of the stars of the evening in front of a huge crowd in Barcelona's Palau Sant Jordi stadium in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Hard work and dedicationThe new 350 EXC-F factory bike represents hard work and dedication by KTM's R&D department with direct input from leading factory riders like Knight and others. The project was led by KTM's Joachim Sauer, who won the Enduro European Championship in 1987 on the first 350 Enduro LC4 prototype.
Presentation of the 2011 Enduro Factory Team; honoring KTM heroesKTM used the occasion of the Barcelona event to present the official 2011 Enduro Factory Racing team, including team boss Fabio Farioli and KTM head of Motorsports Pit Beirer together with the revolutionary new machine. Also invited were 100 members of the international, KTM dealers, sponsors and partners.
Honoring the KTM Enduro heroesThe company also took advantage of the electric atmosphere of the event to pay tribute to KTM Enduro legends: Arnaldo Farioli, who has been with KTM since 1964 as the eternal KTM racer, businessman and dedicated Orange family member; Anton Marsignac, in 1982 the first ever Spanish Enduro Champion on a KTM and for more than 20 years a KTM importer who runs a successful KTM dealership; Toni Stoecklmeier, former top Enduro champion, ISDE Six Days rider and a long-term key player in the KTM Management and bridging the gap to the latest generation, KTM's Joachim Sauer. Sauer won the Enduro European Championship in 1987 on the first 350 Enduro LC4 prototype and 24 years has been in charge of the project to produce the latest revolutionary 350cc EXC-F machine.
Results of Round 21, Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, KTM, 60 Points (1-1-1)2, David Knight, UK, KTM 350, 48 (2-3-2)3, Joakim Lundgren, Sweden, Husaberg, 414, Alfredo Gomez, Spain, Husaberg 355, Graham Jarvis, UK, Husaberg 286, Cristobal Guerrero, Spain, KTM 350, 267, Mika Ahola, Finland, 228, Dougie Lampkin, UK, Gas Gas, 1811. Thomas Oldrati, Italy, KTM 13
Knight gives KTM 350 EXC--F memorable first enduro outing Enduro 3
World Champion places a strong second overall at Barcelona IEWC event Enduro Factory Team rider David Knight ensured that KTM’s new 350 EXC--F machine enjoyed both a positive and memorable first outing as the Enduro 3 World Champion rode to an impressive overall runner--up result at the 12th running of the Barcelona Indoor Enduro. Despite his participation being only a one--off appearance in the ’11 Indoor Enduro World Championship Knight certainly gave the event his all and earned his runner--up finish thanks to a 2/3/2 score card. With much of David’s recent training having been focused towards the start of the ’11 Enduro World Championship the
former IEWC title winner was soon up to speed and showing just how capable the new 350cc enduro machine is. Second in the first final David was then forced to work his way from the back of the pack in the second final after a mistake saw his fall early in the race. Going on to finish third Knight then repeated his opening result with a second
Standings:1, Taddy Blazusiak, Poland, KTM 103 points2, Joakim Ljunggren, Sweden, Husaberg, 863, Mika Ahola, Finland Honda, 73
runner--up result in the last final, which was more than enough to earn him the overall runner--up result behind team--mate Blazusiak. David’s next event is the opening round of the British Sprint Enduro Championship, which takes place in Wales on February 12/13.
David Knight: ‘My main goal was to give the new 350 enduro bike a successful debut, and I think I did that. Qualification went really well and I managed to set the fastest time. That not only showed how good the bike is but also showed that my speed is where it needs to be even though this is a one off indoor ride for me. I always knew that the three seven lap finals were going to be tough, which they were. Taddy had a little too much pace for me so I just tried to race my own race each time. The track was really physical so it was important to not make mistakes and waste energy. The second final was the hardest and I made a few mistakes. But the third final was good, and I enjoyed it. All in all it’s been a really good night for both the new 350 and myself. ’
Dougie LampkinAn out of sorts Dougie Lampkin - Gas Gas struggled with ill health at round two of the 2011 FIM Indoor Enduro World Championship, held at the atmospheric Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona on Sunday, 6th February. After a comfortable qualifying heat Lampkin finished a disappointing eighth overall on a night where Taddy Blazusiak - KTM stamped his authority on the series with a convincing victory.
Lampkin’s day started well. A good start in his qualifying heat saw him take the lead early and he never once looked like relinquishing it. However, with two laps to go
Alfredo Gomez - Husaberg closed the gap when Lampkin slowed and rather than risk a crash, Dougie let him past to take the win knowing he would progress into the main event with a second place finish.
“I felt good in practice and qualifying,” said Lampkin. “The track offered a good mix of rock and log sections and I felt fairly quick. At that point I was looking forward to the night’s racing and I was confident of a good result. However I have been suffering with headaches quite a bit recently, and between qualifying and the finals I started to feel really dodgy.”
“I went out for the first final and got a rubbish start, then within a lap I started to get blurred vision,” continued the twelve times trials World Champion. “To be honest it was pretty dangerous and I probably should have pulled over and stopped. Instead I just backed off a bit and continued to ride around. The same thing happened in all three motos and I just wanted to get the races over and done with. There is nothing you can do when you feel like that.”
Despite suffering from a migraine Lampkin recorded a ten-eight-nine result across the three finals to finish inside the top ten overall. At the sharp end of the field David Knight debuted KTM’s 350 EXC-F, but even he could do little to prevent Blazusiak winning all three races en route to a well-deserved triumph. Knighter finished second while Sweden’s Joakim Ljunggren - Husaberg was third."
Lampkin will hope for a much better result when the 2011 FIM Indoor Enduro World Championship resumes in Lisbon on Saturday, 5th March. Until then, the thirty-four-year-old Yorkshireman aims to get to the bottom of the headaches that have plagued him in recent weeks.
“I need to work out why I’m getting these migraines each time I ride at the moment,” explained Lampkin. “When they come on so quickly like that there is little I can do. I will have a couple of days rest and if they continue I will visit the doctor. At least I have a full month before the next round in Portugal, so there is plenty of time to get to the root of the problem.”
Making a solid start to the new season Husaberg’s indoor enduro star Joakim Ljunggren secures a well-deserved third place result at the penultimate round of the Indoor Enduro World ChampionshipLeading Husaberg’s charge at the Indoor Enduro World Championship once again Swede Joakim Ljunggren enjoyed a hugely successful night at the 12th running of the Barcelona Indoor Enduro where he finished third overall with a 3/2/5 result. But more importantly he strengthened his runner-up position in the IEWC championship standings with just one round remaining.
After his superb overall runner-up result at the series opener in Genoa, Italy, Joakim was full of confidence going into the second and penultimate round of the series. With the Barcelona track extremely physical it quickly became clear that fitness would play as important a role in the night’s results as rider skill and determination. Well prepared for the event having spent time training in Spain in the lead up to the race Joakim comfortably qualified through into the might’s finals. Going on to deliver three impressive results he ended the night more than a little happy with his continued good form.
‘I’m so happy to be on the podium again after me good start to the championship in Genoa,’ confirmed Joakim. ‘This has been one of the toughest indoor events I’ve done for a long time but I really enjoyed it. Both David Knight and Taddy Blazusiak are amazing indoor enduro racers so to be on the podium with them on my Husaberg if just fantastic. In the first race I got a bad start, which made things tough for me. I felt fast but when you are behind riders it’s hard to keep your speed. But I felt strong and managed to pass a lot of riders during the second half of the race. Finishing third was a great start to the night, especially with David Knight only eight seconds ahead of me.
‘Things got even better in the second race as I finished second to Taddy. With the faster riders having the last pick of the start gates it made things pretty interesting during the first lap but I managed to race well. I had the third fastest lap time but with David making a mistake I managed to get what would be my best result of the night. Going into the third final I knew I was in a strong position for a good overall result. Things didn’t work out so well for me but I managed to finish fifth, which was good enough to get a place on the podium.
‘With just one round of the championship remaining now I’m going to be working hard over the next few weeks to make sure I’m in the best shape I can be. Anything can happen in indoor enduro racing but obviously my goal is to secure the runner-up position in the championship and keep pushing for a possible win. I’m staying in Spain now to get away from the snow in Sweden, so I’m looking forward to two weeks of hard training.’
Just one place behind Joakim in fourth in the overall results was Spanish Husaberg rider Alfredo Gomez. Finishing with a 4/5/3 result Alfredo ended the event as the highest placed home rider having delivered his best IEWC performance to date. Ensuring a great night for Husaberg the youngster
confirmed that despite returning to the Trials World Championship in ’11 he will compete in the opening round of the Enduro World Championship, which takes place in Spain in April. Also, that he is already planning on competing in the IEWC next season.
The third Husaberg rider to finish inside the top six in Barcelona was Britain’s Graham Jarvis who placed fifth. Despite hoping to be a little closer to the eventual top three Jarvis rode well in all three finals but failed to start as well as he normally does, which resulted in him having to battle his way past riders in all three finals.
‘I can’t be too disappointed with my overall result, but things didn’t go exactly to plan for me, commented Graham. ‘I enjoyed the track more than in Genoa as it was a little slower and more technical, which I liked. I struggled a little with my starts for some reason, which meant I had to fight my way through the first few corners. That allowed a few riders to get away at the front of the race while I was working my way forward. I just tried to settle into a good pace and keep out of trouble because the finals were long and there wasn’t much time between them to recover. I guess there was a little room for improvement in my riding so I’m going to make sure I ride at my best at the final round of the series in Lisbon.’
Qualifying into the finals to make it four Husaberg mounted riders competing for IEWC points was Spain’s Xavi Galindo. Still working his way back to full fitness after a prolonged lay-off due to injury, Xavi found the event tough going but still gave the event his all. It was a really hard event because the track was very, very demanding,’ explained Xavi. ‘It was really hard to push for the whole race. I have been riding a lot but still I need more races to get back my full fitness after my injuries last year. After six months off a bike a tough track like in Barcelona was a little too much for me. I made it into the final, which I was really pleased about, but I was only able to really push hard for three or four laps in each final.’
Top 10 for Jonny Walker at the Barcelona Indoor Enduro
Round 2 of Indoor Enduro World Championship held at Palau Sant Jordi Stadium, Barcelona, Spain.
Having failed to qualify at round 1 despite posting times amongst the top 6 riders and being fastest in first practice Jonny Walker was determined to make the finals in Barcelona.
However the original Indoor Enduro attracts the largest entry and the very best riders, an amazing line up with several World Champions would make Jonny's ambitions a real challenge. After practice it was apparent again that he was again up with the leading riders and had the speed to run near the front. The track layout was especially demanding, relentless rows of logs and boulder obstacles had all the riders struggling and riding more in survival mode than out and out racing, in fact the organisers shortened the final races from 8 to 7 laps after they realised how tough their circuit was.
Jonny was selected for qualifying group 3 along with Taddy Blazusiak, he made no mistakes off the start with a holeshot before Taddy passed him on the first lap and he just settled into a steady pace to take 2nd and easily go through to the finals. Out of over 40 entree’s only 14 make it to the finals, many favourites did not however, most notably home favourite Ivan Cervantes and WEC regulars Juha Salminen and Thomas Oldratti who had to go to the last chance race.
First heat of the finals and Jonny made a perfect holeshot again and led with the fatory KTM duo of Blazusiak and Knighter close behind, they passed and Jonny followed for several laps in 3rd, but he tired near the end and dropped down to finish a creditable 5th . Race 2 and the starting order was reversed meaning that Jonny , Knighter and Taddy would start from the 2nd row !! however the fast starter somehow got through to 3rd on the first lap, but Knighter caught and collided with him and Jonny crashed to the ground in a difficult log section, once he had remounted he was last and no possibilty for a good result !!! Race 3 and he did not make such a good start and after a few mistakes and feeling very drained could do no better than 9th position which would give him 9th overall for the evening.
Jonny Walker “ I am so pleased at my second attempt to qualify for the indoor race, after having bad luck in Italy I was just so careful to not make mistakes. The track here is just so tiring and I just don't have enough experience of this type of racing yet, but each time I learn a lot, I have now switched from a 250 to 300 EXC and this is working great for me and makes the starts much easier. Now i'm looking forward to Hells Gate in Italy”
Team manager Julian Stevens “ Its been a good night for us, Jonny has improved again and we know what we must do to improve our results, its a shame that in race 2 when he was running in 3rd that he and Knighter collided as I am sure he could have made another top 5 position. I believe he has the speed to run in the top 3 soon, he just needs more races and strength, its all about learning now for a serious attempt in 2012”
Round 113th March
Sweet LambRhayader
RideoffroadUK Pre Championship Warm Up Event
Rosey Masterclass By LPE Kawasaki's Top GunImage Credits Ash Smith Report RideoffroadUK
Results
RideoffroadUK kick started their 2011 Hare & Hounds campaign at Thoresway Motoparc Caistor on February 20th, with a pre Championship warm up event for its members old and new.
Many riders had been asking about a warm up event to blow away the
cobwebs, as always rideoffroaduk are only prepared to provide quality events, so the brief was to have a dry run of our operating systems prior to the main championship starting on the third weekend in February.
And dry it was… with the UK weather having dealt some wet conditions in recent weeks, the ride team were pleasantly surprised how the high winds had dried the Caistor hills for this warm up event.
With a select entry of keen riders wanting a full two and a half hour event, the start flag was waved shortly after 11am. With a quality Expert line of consisting of LPE Kawasaki top gun Jordon Rose, Eurotek KTM's Tom Healey, and the newly formed RideoffroadUK Enduro Race teamsters Scott Austin and Andy Noakley out for some training, the top class was looking good.
As the riders swept into the outfield section it was clear to see who has been training hard this winter, Jordon Rose cruised through Lap Scoring with a adequate lead on lap one. Hot on his heals were Scott Austin, Andy Noakley and Tom Healey. Over the course of the race duration Jordon Rose gave a master class in how to ride smooth and fast, despite two very long un flustered pit stops. Tom Healey netted a solid second spot, and up graded ride team member Andy Noakley got his season off to a great start taking his ktm250XC to the final podium spot. Despite some sore hands Andy's fitness appears to be good ahead of the up coming 2011 Championship.
The clubman class was won by MX guru Mark Reville, Mark used his Caistor knowledge to great effect as he took his first Enduro Hare & Hounds win on his CRF450, beating off some stiff opposition. New rideoffroadUK race team runner Rob Dawson netted a good second spot despite loosing 3 minutes when his Gas Gas fouled a plug. Luckily Rob had a spare in his drinks bag and was able to get going again without too much time lost. Lee Stansfield rounded out the Clubman Podium.
In the new for 2011 Beginner class, Steve Roberts notched up a fine 18 lap tally ahead of runner up Chris Belford also on 18 laps. Young Sam Thompson celebrated his 18th birthday in style by taking third place at his first ever Enduro event, well done Sam the man.
Shane Tasker took overall victory in the Sportsman class finishing one lap clear of the entire field. Paul Daley Smith rode a borrowed Ex MPS Husky and was so happy with
the performance he took a well deserved second place. Dark horse for 2011, and the final podium place was taken by Shane Marroitt, Shane has been working away for over a year now on Hare & Hounds events, and looks set to be a real threat to the sportsman class when the main Championship starts.
The early morning youth B event was won in convincing style by Ben Turner on his CR85 Honda. Ben made light work of the slick conditions and finished with an impressive 8 lap tally. Ben Clarke dug on all his reserves to take a well deserved runner up spot, despite some mechanical issues on his last lap. Ronnie hill made the journey from Lancashire worthwhile by taking the final podium spot on 5 laps.
The junior class was won by Dawson Marriott; Dawson's KTM was clearly heard singing its head off in the sticky conditions. RideoffroadUK newcomer Reece Pickersgill had a good race despite a slip off on the first lap which cost him valuable time. The plucky Yorkshire lad dug deep and ground out a great finish.
20th February - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 16th March - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 217th April - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 315th May - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 45th June - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 5
Doodson Motorsport Championship
10th July - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 631st July - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 728th August - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 811th September - Doodsons Motorsport Rd 925th September - Doodsons Motorsport finalRd 10
Medal of Honourfor John LightfootJohn Lightfoot, Chairman of the North Berks Motor Cycle & Light Car Club was presented with the Medal of Honour for his contribution to the Acu and the Trials and Enduro Committee at the recent Annual Acu Awards evening held at the Park Inn Hotel in Northampton.
John Lightfoot first got involved with motorcycling back in 1959 after returning from his time serving for the RAF on national service, joining his local club the North Berks Motor Cycle & Light Car Club in the September of 1959. John continued to ride Trials for a number of
years competing along his brother in sidecars. Over the years his best result was 3rd in the Southern Centre Championship.
John became more involved with his local club and voted onto the committee and went on to become secretary, treasurer and chairman, a position that he still hold today. In the late 60s, John got more involved in organizing events, eg Southern Experts Trial (x2), Centre Championships Trial, and in 1966 the NBMCC got involved in organizing Grass Track race meetings, starting with Centre championships and Inter Centre Championships and in 1977 running the first National meeting, going on to twice running the World Long Track Semi-finals. 2000 saw the pinnacle of his organizing career when the NBMCC organized a World Long Track Final.
In the last 7 years he has been a member of the national T&E committee, a responsibility which he enjoyed, whether it was getting up early for the 80 mile trip to Rugby for meetings, or traveling to the Isle of Man for the steward’s job for the Manx 2 Day and sidecar championship round. Having spent 52 years involved in the sport and is now over the age where he can stay on the T&E Committee it was decided that John Lightfoot was a well-deserved winner of the Medal of Honour, an awards only received by Ron Carter and Jack Parker previously.
Round 1: March 27th Rideoffroaduk Low North Camp, Harwood Dale, Near Scarborough North York’s.www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
Round 2: May 15th Midwest Racing Chavenage Farm, Near Tetbury, Gloucester www.mwmcc.co.uk
Round 3: June 12th Sidcup & District MCC Ltd. Canada Heights circuit, Button Street, Swanley, www.sidcupmotorcycleclub.co.uk
Round 4: October 16th Rideoffroaduk Walton Woods, Chesterfield, Derbyshirewww.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
Classes:
AM - British Over-50 Cross Country ChampionshipACU Sportsman series – 2-strokeACU Sportsman series – 4-strokeLadies British Cross Country Championship
PM - British Pro/Expert Cross Country ChampionshipBritish Clubman Cross Country ChampionshipBritish Over-40 Cross Country Championship
Supplementary Regulations - Entry Form
Grand NorthernCross Country Championship
Grand Northern Cross Country Championship19th/20th February
The Ride XC crew kicked off the Grand Northern Cross Country Championship with round 1 at the brand new venue of Langtoft near Driffield, East Yorkshire. Working hard over the last few months, the Ride XC team have put together a fantastic track for all abilities. Using a large dale and stubble fields they created a fast flowing track for the three race format, of the day ahead.
The day got under way after a night of light showers at 8.30am with the young eager riders lined up raring to go. After the Ride XC crew had inspected the track they decided to slightly adjust it for the youth race to make it more ride able and enjoyable in the slippery conditions. At 8.30am Justin Wilson set away the riders where Doltan Shannon was hot of the start line taking the holeshot closely followed by Ross John, Harry Driver-Smith and the only female solo rider of the day, Megan Wilson on her girlie pink bike. The juniors were showed how it was done and they shortly followed 60 seconds later chasing each other along the top of the dale for the top spot.
First rider to appear through time control was local motocross rider Tim Gardham with a lead of 66 seconds ahead of young Doltan Shannon. It was Tim Gardham who finished the race, a lap ahead with an outstanding performance taking the win from Doltan Shannon in 2nd and Archie Flack in 3rd. The young and upcoming riders of the juniors, some aged from as young as just 8 years old did extremely well considering the wet weather on their small bikes. New to the sport Oliver Doughty took a well-earned win after having problems with his chain towards the end of the race with Lee Western in 2nd both competing 6 laps and James Ryall in 3rd with 5 laps.
Following on from the youths it's was the turn of the adult solo with a 2.5 hour race. As the crowds gathered of riders, pit crew members and spectators, a briefing from Wilson took place and the roar for the 2min warm up began. At 10:40am the experts were given the 10 second signal and all eyes were on that front row. First off the start line and taking the holeshot was top rider Ryan Staveley who was neck- and -neck with Harry Hillas, continuously swapping places throughout the first lap. Ryan was disappointed having to called it a day, after traveling back to the pits several time with bike problem. The 'Biffster' was not too happy neither as he was also forced to take early retirement after seizing his bike half way through the race. The Pressure was on for Steve Gardham after seeing his younger brother fly round the track in the earlier race. Overall in the experts Harry Hillas took 1st place from Steve Gardham in 2nd and Damien Butler in 3rd. Over 40 rider Ian Colburn ploughed his way up to the top taking 1st from John Bradford in 2nd and Glynn Bolton in 3rd.
lubman class saw a fantastic ride from young Luke Flack completing 14 laps taking home 1st ahead of Mark Austin in 2nd and David Appleyard in 3rd . Motocross rider Chris Wells came for a one off Hare & Hounds race and proudly took home gold in sportsman from Michael Gilby in 2nd and Mark Fennick in 3rd.
To finish off a top day at Langtoft, there was a two hour race for the quads where the difficult parts of the track were re-added to give the guys a challenge. It was David Baldwin #1 who led home taking 1st from Andy Warren in 2nd and Peter Hemp in 3rd of the expert class. Clubman rider Lewis Ryan finished 1st with Matthew Ambler in 2nd. A Good race between the sportsman riders but it was Scott Woodhead who snatched the win from Keith Everitt in 2nd and David Plant in 3rd.
Katie Hodgson showed the men how it was done using her girl power, taking home 1st place in the 4x4 Class from Tim Clark in 2nd and Rider 52 in 3rd.
The Ride - XC Crew set the standards for 2011 with a quality event to kick off the championship and will look forward to seeing everyone at the next event at Lings Farm on the 19/20 February, a favourite track from a few years ago. Entries now available at www.ride-xc.co.uk
Feb 5/6th Sledmere estateFeb 19/20th Lings farmMarch 19/20th WestwoodApril16/17th HelmsleyMay 7/8th GisburnJune 11/12th Leisure lakes
July 2/3th Eversham hallJuly30/31th Lings farmAugust27/28th GisburnSeptember 17/18th PockthorpeOctober 22/23th LangtoftNovember 5/6th Westwood
The Putoline Grand Northern Cross Country Championship
PLUS Husqvarna team/ironman Challenge -April 23/24th Woodhouse 4 hourJuly 9/10th Gisburn 6 hour - August 13/14th Westwood 4 hour
Jarvis gets his revenge
Delivering a start to finish win Husaberg mounted Brit Graham Jarvis leaves his rivals behind and romps to an outstanding Hells Gate victory.
Starting as one of the favourites for victory at the 2011 running of the infamous Hell’s Gate event in Italy Graham Jarvis knew that the fight for the win was going to be a tough one. The rider that snatched defeat from the jaws of victory 12 months ago when he got to within 200 meters of the finish only to be overtaken and beaten into the runner-up spot, Graham’s goal this time around was simple. To go one better that his runner-up result in ’10 and finally claim a lo ng overdue victory.
Right from the start of this year’s event Jarvis put himself atop the Hell’s Gate leader board, going on to
win three out of the four special tests during the event’s morning qualifying enduro. In doing so he opened up an almost one-minute margin over fellow British rider Dougie Lampkin.
It was clear from the start of the day that the organisers had laid out a truly gruelling course for the riders. With over six hours of technical enduro going, which included 40 minutes of special test racing, the qualifying enduro was anything but easy. The afternoon race was then scheduled to be six laps of the course, each lap taking at least one-hour to complete.
Despite the physically demanding morning race Graham started the main event looking fresh and sitting on pole position on the road race style starting grid. After failing to fire his bike into life at the drop of the starters flag he was beaten to the holeshot by Husaberg rider Xavier Galindo. However, it quickly became clear that this was to be Graham’s day as by the time he’d reached the first major spectator point he held a three-minute lead.
His lead continued to grow. With the organisers pulling riders out of the race as they fell more than half an hour behind the Brit it became clear that Jarvis was riding at his very best. Riding calmly he kept extending his lead until the race was brought to an early close as his lead had grown too large. On the fourth lap the organisers decide it would be the
last and just five riders headed out into the hills. Darkness closed in and an hour later Graham arrived, tired and sore, at the bottom of the infamous Hell’s Peak. Over 500 people were scattered across the Italian hillside, many helping to pull the TE 300 mounted rider up the loose and near vertical climb and helping him on his way to his first win at Hell’s Gate. In the last lap Jarvis’ lead continued to grow, with the former trials rider eventually claiming the win by 25 minutes. Jarvis not only won the 2011 running of Hell’s Gate but eliminated all riders except Dougie Lampkin.
“Qualifying went pretty good really,” commented the always understated but thrilled Jarvis. “I was trying to save energy for the afternoon because I knew from previous years how hard it is here. I qualified first and was really happy with that. At the start of the main race I completely fluffed it and ended up fifth to the first corner. It gave me a bit of fight though and I had to work hard to get in front on the first lap, which used a fair bit of energy. I tried hard to settle into a rhythm then and ride my own race. On the third lap they told me they were going to cut it short by a lap, so I
went flat out. I felt good at that point, I had some energy still and I really wanted to make sure of the winning result after last year. I was really nervous at that point so I went for it and it worked for me. It feels great to win after the disappointment of last year.”
Fellow Husaberg rider Xavier Galindo also made a good showing. After the elimination race Galindo sat in a comfortable third place. An excellent start saw the Spaniard and his TE 300 holeshot and lead the chasing pack up the hill away from the start. Despite slipping back slightly, Galindo settled into a comfortable fourth position, closely behind American Cody Webb. Galindo managed to keep in touch with the leaders until the final lap where he dropped outside the half hour and was eliminated in fourth place.
Main Event Results1. Graham Jarvis (Husaberg) 5 Laps; 2. Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas) +25 Minutes
Elimination Race Results1. Graham Jarvis (Husaberg TE 300) 41:31.15; 2 Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas) 42:27.89; 3. Xavier Galindo (Husaberg TE 300) 43:02.18; 4. Alessandro Botturi (Gas Gas) 43:12.20; 5. Maurizio Gerini (Husqvarna) 43:41.73; 6. Andreas Lettenbichler (Husqvarna) 44:13.84; 7. Diego Nocoletti (Beta) 44:16.02; 8. Jonathon Walker (KTM) 44:16.81; 9. Michael Vukcevic (Sherco) 45:05.56; 10. Kyle Redmond (Beta) 45:12.73…
Dougie Lampkin's report Thirty-four year old Dougie Lampkin - Gas Gas continued his strong run of results at the formidable Hell's Gate extreme enduro as he placed second behind fellow British rider Graham Jarvis, as the trials duo once again were the only two competitors to make it to the finish after an epic day of true off road riding. After winning this classic Italian event last year Lampkin returned to the scene of his victory as one of the favourites to lift the trophy for a second year running, but came up against a strong and determined Jarvis who was more than worthy of his win on the day.
The morning qualifying session already began to show the form for the day as Dougie took second spot behind Jarvis after six furious laps of more traditional enduro going. Riding his factory Gas Gas CC300, Lampkin found himself nearly a minute down on Graham as qualification came to a close, but over thirty seconds ahead of Xavier Galindo and fellow Gas Gas runner Alessandro Botturi as only just over fifty riders make it through this initial phase of the competition.
After a short break to refresh both bodies and bikes, only the select group of higher placed qualifiers were then allowed back out in to the dense forest that defines this event, for the competition proper where literally only the really brave survive. Even with conditions much drier and warmer than when Lampkin claimed victory twelve
months ago, the event proved much tougher than on previous occasions with many riders failing to complete one lap of the afternoon / evening session.
Lampkin was almost amongst the early casualties as he managed to loop out on one of the many steep climbs and feared the worst as his red machine flew above his head and crashed heavily back down the hill below him. Whilst
Dougie lost valuable minutes reclaiming his bike from the bottom of the hill, he was thankfully uninjured and was able to continue having only done minor damage to his two-stroke mount.
With darkness having now descended on this evil Italian hillside, only Jarvis and Lampkin remained out on the course for the fifth and final lap as thousands of passionate fans lined the route to the final summit, waiting to see whose headlight would emerge first from the valley below. Whilst Dougie had famously overtaken Graham on this final stretch last year, this time around the ex multi FIM Trial World champion had to be content to follow his compatriot home after a day long battle between the two British riders.
Speaking after the event, an exhausted Lampkin explained. "I had no answer to Graham today, he has ridden a really strong race so I am quite happy to have finished second after what has been an incredibly tough event. When I crashed on the first lap in the afternoon I really thought my day was over, and although I lost a lot of time there, I was really lucky not to have injured myself or to have broken the bike. When you realise that we have done nearly ten hours riding today, perhaps people will understand why only two of us have made it to the finish and how stubborn us older trials riders actually are." Details
Jonny Walker's 2011 Hells Gate
12th February and while team KORR was attending the first round of the British Sprint Enduro Championship in Wales Jonny Walker had arrived in Italy for the notorious Hells Gate Extreme Enduro, after his top 10 ride the week before in the Barcelona Indoor Enduro.
Jonny who traveled with his friend “Sheepy” was under strict instructions to ride within his limits, keeping himself and the bike safe and just gain experience on his first visit to Ciocco Mountain. Without full support of the team it was vital in such a long arduous event that he did not damage the bike as without technical support it would be difficult to repair his bike, as every good enduro rider knows first you must finish and Hells Gate has so many dangers to break the bike and rider.
The race starts at 7.00am Saturday in the dark with several laps of a tough Enduro circuit around the IL Ciocco Mountain and 4 special tests to decide which riders go through to the final stage. Jonny made 4 consistent special
tests to qualify in 8th position and went through to the main event without any drama, keeping to the game plan of just doing enough to get through. The morning race is followed by 1 hours work time to prepare the bike for afternoon and evening race, Jonny fitted new tyres and his Trailtech lights, he had qualified in the morning without a single fall so his 300 EXC remained perfect with only basic maintenance required.
Normally a fast starter Jonny failed to make a clean get away and was quickly down the order and being held up on single tracks behind slower riders, towards the end of the lap he could not find the route marking and became lost, but he still managed to stay in the race despite being 25 minutes behind the leader, after 30 minutes late riders are excluded so he had to pick up his pace, the next few laps he just concentrated on staying in the race and out of trouble, he lost a little more time when he crashed heavily on an icy section, but again he was fortunate not to damage himself or the bike. On lap 4 he reached the final control point but unfortunately he was timed out, with 1 lap to go and in 6th position !!. The course was so severe that the organisers cut short the race from 6 to 5 laps and only 2 riders finished with the winner Graham Jarvis being almost half an hour ahead of his rival Dougie Lampkin.
Jonny Walker “That is the most amazing thing I have ever done, I just can't wait to return, I loved every minute and the spectators are just so enthusiastic and crazy here. The bike ran brilliantly and a big thanks to Roy Kerr of Trailtech for helping me with my lights, I think I was faster in the dark !!. My friend Sheepy worked real hard to keep me and the bike fueled up and on schedule , being my first time here I did not know what to expect and started the evening race to slow and careful, next time I know what to do and when to pace myself and when to go for it”
More info Photo Bob Mullins Eddy's Xtreme
12th/13th February 2011 -Saints Well, Powys
David Knight and Tom Sagar split BESC openerSaints Well, Powys - 12th/13th February 2011
Photos
Saint's Well in February is not a restful retreat for the frail in search of spiritual healing. It is a remote place where the unwary who foolishly stray from the narrow path will be cast down into deep waters and an ideal venue for a challenging first round of the 2011 Husqvarna British Sprint Championship..
The top teams and riders arrived on Thursday and they spent Friday walking the lap and preparing their machines. The weather was warm and dry but a bank of misty rain blew in from the west around tea time and persisted into the night.
Saturday morning. Some large clouds hung around the hilltops but they were eager to be on their way and soon revealed a bright blue sky. The start was also bright - with the team gazebos and sponsors flags - there was an atmosphere of carnival and expectation. The Edmondson Racing Fun Mover linked with the MPS Husqvarna laviothan and the Husqvarna Freestyle truck to form the buttresses of temporary walled city on the hill next to the start. Inside the ramparts the Midwest Husaberg pits were bulging with a line-up of 7 riders: Simon Wakely, Alex Rockwell, Jon Hinam, Tyson Mayton Jones, Richard Ely, Aaron Smith and James Jackman. KTM UK were showcasing their 2011 range and Steve Plain was prepping his GasGasUK machines for Daniel McCanney,
Mathew Moffat and Bradley King. A new addition this season were the black and green tents of the new Race-FX Kawasaki team of Ollie Moyce and Jamie Paget in their new starry jymjams. At the other end of the car park the KORR Racing team had set up their principality on another knoll and the two camps prepared for battle.
The sense of anticipation was cranked up by a new innovation of coralling each class in the barn before releasing the riders onto the course at 30 second intervals. The competitors were flagged away from 9.00am for their sighting lap. Clerk of the Course Jonty Edmonds had compressed a lot into a small area in 2010 but this year he had a much larger canvas to work with and he could employ a much richer palette. The pictorial analogy is an apt one as much of the drama could be viewed by the spectators as it unfolded all over the hillside across the valley Two reluctant spectators were Kalerm Hicks and Rhienallt Davies. Kalem has re-broken the foot he broke before Christmas and Rhienallt has undergone surgery on his crucial ligaments.
From the line the competitors dropped down to cross a stream by way of a iron bridge before climbing to the tree line on the opposite side of the valley. A steep rutted track took them kicking and bucking up to a left hander onto a forestry road. Here the big bikes could really open up for a flat out mile before turning right onto another climb through the forest to a section of boggy moorland where the lighter bikes had the advantage. Chief marshal Phil Hodges has anticipated that this would cause problems and he was on hand all day to open up new lines. Aaron Smith had a bad start when he snapped his chain on the sighting lap. It was an frustrating day for Aaron as he would later loose his
chain guide and flatten his exhaust. Jason Davis also flattened the pipe on his new Husky 449 and MPS team had to dispatch a runner to Shrewsbury for a replacement. Team mate Joe Deakin on the TE250 had been battling with a severe case of the flu during the week prior to the event and although he set a fast opening lap time he struggled with stamina during his second outing and the decision was made to retire him from the event. Jack Rowland, in his first season of Enduro rode well on board his TE250 setting a series of fast laps but a couple of mistakes and a crash on one lap which bent the gear lever leaving him in 4th for over half the lap cost him time overall, meaning he ended the first day seventh in class.
Tom Sagar Greg Evans Simon Wakely
Wyn Hughes Danny McCanney Alex RockwellThe Route 55 KTM team of Lewis Belfield and had mixed results. Both riders where looking forward to the first championship meeting of the year and keen to see if their winter training had been enough to return them the results they where hoping for. Saturday started well for both riders, Lewis Belfield was very pleased with 4th overall in the Under 23s. Mark Roberts had varying results from 27th on one test to 11th, ending the day with 12th overall in the premier Elite class.
Neil Chatham made his Drysdale Motorcycles KTM debut at the ACU British Enduro Sprint at the weekend. Neil has been out of action since breaking his wrist in Slovakia back in June last year riding for the UEM Promotional Enduro Team. Neil was out to get two days competition under his belt before the Muntjac Enduro in two weeks. The first test started with a blistering time on his run beating many of the established names although his lack of competition saw him slip down the order as the day progressed.
One of the most interesting aspects of sprint racing is the constant activity in the pits as the riders and their crews modify their machines to extract every ounce of performance. Simon Wakely found the Husaberg 250 was a bit too sharp in the slippery conditions so he fitted a softer pipe. Under every canvas awning forks were bled and jets were changed. Most of the riders modified the bikes on the going. Dan Beavan for example disguarded his bulky front mudguard at one point.
From the first heat, the excitement and the competition was intensive as Tom Sagar on the FastEddy/Edmondson Racing KTM 450 set the fastest opening lap time after David Knight crashed. David bounced back on his KTM Factory 535 with his 2 fastest laps to take the lead in the 3rd heat. KORR KTM UK's Greg Evans in 3rd was the model of consistency on his new 350 XCF. Over the 12 minutes lap his first 4 times were within 4 seconds of each other. Simon Wakely in 4th has got to grips with his new Husaberg 250. Welsh MXer Jamie Lewis set a fast first heat time before settling back in 4th. Fellow MXer Tom Church was also trying something different on the CCM 450. 45 year old Wyn Hughes once again proved that he has all the experience - without loosing the will - to win by setting the fastest time in every heat of the Expert. A lot of riders paced themselves, setting an early quick time to see what they were capable before settling back into their less riskier natural rhythm. All the action was relayed to the crowd by Julie Evans on the PA with Richard and Andrea Snowden posting the times. Edward Jones and Wyn Hope swept up the course after each heat.
At the end of the first day David Knight was the winner from Tom Sagar, Greg Evans was 3rd ahead of Simon Wakely, Paul Edmondson (right), Daryl Bolter, Jamie Lewis, Gavin Houson, Tom Church and Ollie Moyce.Wyn Hughes won the Experts ahead of David Lloyd Jones. Matthew Lund was 3rd, Tyson Maytom-Jones 4th, Richard Ely 5th, Oliver Hart 6th, James Burroughs 7th, Tudor Davies 8th, Neil Hawker 9th and Sam Toy 10th. Ross Jones retired on the fourth heat.
17 year old Australian Ben Burrell (left) had traveled to the UK to compete in the Eddy's Xtreme after reading about the event in Enduro News and Eddy had been so impressed by the young rider's ability at Tong that he had persuaded him to stay on a little longer. It proved to be a wise decision as Ben won the Under 19 class with a clean sweep of best times. Joe Jones was the runner up and Steve Holcombe was 3rd ahead of Jordan Scott, Jamie McCanney, Tom Healey, Stuart Owen and Scott Altass,
In the Under 23s, Danny McCanney won from Alex Rockwell but it was a close thing between the 2 young Manxmen. Alex was struggling with a knee injury he picked up a couple of weeks ago or it would have been closer. Stuart Edmonds was 3rd. Lewis Belfeild 4th and Ashley Wood was 5th
On Saturday evening the forecast rain arrived and the wet parts of the course got wetter. On Sunday the second round of the British Enduro Sprint Championship became less about sprinting and more about enduring as the wet weather persisted. The first heat was a repeat of day one with a win for Tom Sagar. David Knight came back with a win in the second heat. The 3rd heat went to Tom but it was the last. Due to the bad weather the event was stopped and Tom took the win ahead of David Knight. The KORR dou Greg Evans and Daryl Bolter were 3rd and 4th, Jamie Lewis in 5th would have made his father Wayne proud. Wayne Lewis would have loved the tough conditions, Simon Wakely on the Midwest Husaberg was 6th, Paul Edmondson was 7th, Gavin Houson 8th, Jon Hinam 9th and Lee Edmondson was 10th - ensuring a good haul of points for the Fast Eddy/Edmondson Racing team with all three riders in the top 10.
As well as the Elites there was also a reversal of fortunes in the Expert class as David Lloyd Jones took the win and Wyn Hughes was the runner up. Tyson Mayton Jones was 3rd and James Burroughs was 4th. With James and Wyn in the top 4 it was a good weekend for the Freestyle Husqvarna team. Tudur Davies was 5th, Oliver Hart 6th, Richard Ely 7th, Freddie Broadway 8th, Ireland's Robert Lynn 9th and Neil Hawker 10th.
MPS Racing's Jason Davies had a much better second day; Jason posted a series of fast times despite the terrain deteriorating as each lap went by and eventually finished the day sixth in class and 2nd placed E2 rider. Team mate Jack as he once again impressed by setting a quick pace as the day wore on but with only three tests to show his speed he finished tenth in class.
Ben Burrell once again dominated the Under 19s with a winning margin of over a minute from Joe Jones. Jamie McCanney was 3rd, Steve Holcombe 4th, Jordan Scott 5th, Frazer Norrie 6th, Joe Wootton 7th, Stuart Owen 8th, James Dent 9th and Jack Rowland 10th.
Danny McCanney was the best Under 23 from Stuart Edmonds Ashley Wood, Alex Rockwell, Brad King, Jason Davis, Ben Wootton, Lewis Belfield, Craig Reynolds and Matt Moffat. Jamie Paget was disqualified for exceeding the speed limit in a blue taped area.
Paul Davies won the Clubman class on a Wayne Mounter KTM 250. Simon Mackune was 2nd ahead of Peter Hayward, Darren Jones, Mike Alty and special congratulations to Darren Morgan for keeping his Husky 480 out of the mud.
MPS rider Rob Johnson rode a steady race throughout the opening day to place tenth overall and continued to show his consistency during day two by finishing eleventh in class.
The Route 55 KTM team both suffered problems on one of the three tests due to the deteroirating conditions. With the day cut short neither rider had the chance to improve. Lewis Belfield finished 8th and Mark Roberts finished 12th again. Both riders now look forward to the British Enduro Championship on the 27th Feb.
The only female ride to attend the BSEC was MPSRacing's Katy Bullock. Never one to blow her own trumpet, Katy brought her WR125 home to finish the first day when a number of other more experienced riders retired - this girl doesn't know the meaning of the word quit!
After the event the riders said:David Knight,- KTM, Elite class: ‘The first test on day one was going well until I got cross rutted and had a bit of a crash. I got back into the swing of things quickly enough and put in some good times on the next few laps. I was just trying to work out what was working best on the bike because it’s the first time I’ve raced the new 530. As the day went on the track got a little rougher, which suited me better. During the last few tests I knew I didn’t need to take any chances and just settled into a good pace and managed to put in some really good times. The rain on the second day changed things a lot. I was trying to get out of the ruts in a lot of places but I’m not sure it was the best thing to do. I tried a few different things on the bike and although I lost some time on the first test I managed to pull most of it back again on the second. I felt good at the start of the third lap but I got water into the bike some how and it started to misfire a bit. It’s a little disappointing not to have won the second day but it’s been good to ride in conditions that we don’t get any more. I love riding real enduro tests no matter what the weather is. I’ve really enjoyed it. The season’s underway now so I’m looking forward to the first round of the British Enduro Championship now.’
Tom Sagar, FastEddy/Edmondson Racing KTM, Elite class: ‘The first day went really well, especially the first test. If I’m honest I surprised myself a little bit. Winning the first test really gave me a boost of confidence. I tried to stay with David for the rest of the day but he’s so good in real enduro test conditions that I couldn’t quite keep with him. I managed to keep a good distance ahead of the third placed rider so I was really happy. Day two started well again but then David came back strong. I just tried to ride as well as I could and I think he had a few small problems, which was enough to allow me to get the win. It was a tough day but a good one for me.’
Si Wakely - Midwest Husaberg, Elite class: ‘It’s been an awesome weekend for me really. For me the best thing has been getting back into competition. It was certainly a proper enduro test, and it’s been a while since a lot of riders have seen one of those, but it was good. I was a bit nervous in the first test on day one but I felt like I was riding better and better as the day progressed. It was a similar thing on day two, as I felt better and better as the day progressed. My bike and the team were great. It was a shame it was so wet on day two, but it was a great weekend and I’m really happy to be back racing.’
Wyn Hughes - Freesyle Husqvarna, Elite class: ‘It’s been an absolutely awesome weekend and I’ve really enjoyed the event. The first day went really well with winning the Expert class, which I was really pleased with. It was a tough
day but an enjoyable one. I managed to get my bike stuck in a rut early on day two, which cost me about a minute and a half. I had to get off and pull both wheels out before I could carry on. I think with one or two laps I could have worked my way back into the lead but obviously with the weather the event was stopped early. Stopping early was the right thing to do. It was a great event.’
Danny McCanney - GasGasUK , Gas Gas, Under 23: ‘The first day started off steady enough but went well for me. My lap times progressed throughout the day and I worked out a good bike set-up, which also helped me. I ended up taking the overall U23 class win, which was great. It was a tough day but I really enjoyed it. I was steady away again on the second day but had to catch up with Stuart Edmonds as I got stuck on the penultimate test. I went for it on the last test and managed to put in a good time again so I was really pleased with that. The second day was certainly tough but it was the same for everyone and I enjoyed it. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season.’Matt Moffat - GasGasUK "This enduro lark is still pretty new to me but I've had a real blast to be fair. The first day was a bit of a learning curve but really enjoyable and the second day was hard work. My CC300 has been awesome - a 1,2,3 in the E3 class is exactly what the team needed!"
Bradley King - GasGasUK "I think I'm one of the only riders to want to keep riding during day two, it was really muddy out there but I was having an awesome time - shame they cut it short. The 300 gasser was the perfect tool for the job and I'm stoked with fifth on day two, I can't wait for the British Championship to start now!"
Ben Burrell - FastEddyEdmondson Racing KTM(Australia), Under 19, : ‘Things went really well this weekend. I have to say a huge thanks to Derek and Paul Edmondson who have looked after me while I’ve been here in the UK. I crashed a lot on the first day, basically just trying too hard and making some mistake. But I still managed to get some good times and a good result. I didn’t crash at all during the second day. Last year in Australia we had a lot of wet weather so I’ve raced in wet conditions a fair bit. It was tough but you just had to get on with it. Knighter and Sagar showed just how fast you can go, which was a bit faster than me, but I really enjoyed it. Thanks to everyone who has helped me out while I’ve been over here, I can’t wait to come back.’
Stuart Edmonds - TM, Under 23 class: ‘The first day was good. The track was rough, but noting like it was on day two. I caught a few riders during the first two laps but after the start order was revised I put in some good laps and ended up third. The second day was tougher but I seemed to ride it better. I got my first two laps down really well but on the third I made a mistake and fell and then made a few silly mistakes during the last 45 seconds of the lap. It’s been a learning experience for me but I’ve enjoyed it. I got some great time on a bike and it’s certainly been great training. I might well do a few more sprint enduro if I can fit them into my motocross schedule.’
Ollie Moyce - Race-FX "The whole weekend has been really hard to be honest. The course was difficult and fairly long compared to when we raced at the same venue last year but it's been good practice for the up and coming European championship. Considering this type of Welsh woodland terrain is best suited to two-strokes I'm really pleased with how my KX250F went; it was nimble through the trees and had plenty of power on the fast open parts. All in all it's been a tough weekend but I'm really looking forward to the Muntjac at the end of the month"
Jamie Paget - Race-FX "There's not much I can say really - yesterday was OK but I was hoping to improve on my result during the second day. I'm not happy about being disqualified but it's just one of those things - what has happened has happened and I'm focusing on the Muntjac now."
Joe Deakin - MPS Racing "I haven't been well all week and although my first lap was pretty good I dropped the bike on the second test and really struggled to pick it back up - I just didn't have any strength. I'm putting this weekend behind me and focussing on the Muntjac in a couple of weeks"
Jason Davis - MPS Racing "Obviously I'm gutted that I had to retire from the first day but these things happen and the bike was running really well up until that point. I'm happy with my second day's performance as my times were actually towards the top of the pack and I felt really good."
Neil Chatham - Drysdale Motorcycles KTM 'This was just what I needed, a tough test of my fitness before the Muntjac. I am really feeling it with such a long time out of action. I have been training and riding as much as possible but there is nothing like a proper competition. I had a couple of big crashes that cost me but I will be more controlled at the Muntjac. I have had the KTM 125 since October and I am really getting to know it now and I can't wait to ride it at the Muntjac. I cant thank Thomas and Alan at Drysdales enough for their support and helping get the bike ready'Neil finished 3rd E1 and 8th overall Under 23 on Saturday and 3rd E1 and 11th Overall under 23 on Sunday.
Winter Series final round - Butts Quarry - 13th February. Noakley DoakleyWith a last minute change to the venue after concerns from the local council about noise, the final round of the Dirtbike-Traxs Winter Series took place this Sunday at Butts Quarry in some seriously boggy conditions.
With all the preparations underway to run the final round at a new venue in Oldham it was very disappointing to have to find a venue at such short notice. The only option open was a return to Butts Quarry and other than cancelling the race altogether the decision was made to pull out all the stops and go for it. So with only two days to get the track prepared the team were faced with a huge task to get a more free flowing course in the worst conditions we've seen at Butts.
It was always going to be a gamble returning to this popular venue for the third time running and the threat of heavy rain for the duration of the adult
race, a low entry was always on the cards, but those that did turn out were in for a hard tough battle. The Youth and Ladies were the first to get their teeth into mud and slop, luckily the rain had held off and there was a real possibility that it was going to be rain free for the duration.
Doltan Shannon was the first off the line in the Senior B class and screamed into a storming lead, with Jamie Dilworth and Luke Owen, two other Dirtbike-Traxs regulars determined to push Doltan all the way. As the bikes got heavier and the young riders began to tire, Doltan was able to maintain his momentum and take the win with 8 laps, a clear lap ahead of his two rivals. Jamie Dilworth took second place with Luke Owen close behind in third; both managed a credible 7 laps.
In the Junior class two young stars showed real determination and guts to stick it out for 90 minutes on their little 65's. Lee Western took the first place spot with 5 laps under his belt and Reece Pickersgill was in second with 4 laps.
The final class of the morning race was the Ladies race and Anita Gordon was determined to consolidate her series lead. After the first lap the ladies came round through lap scoring without any real trouble, except for the missing front mud guard on Anita's bike. Anita gritted her teeth and maintained her lead for the whole 90 minutes, claiming 1st with 6 laps. Kate Smith shook her head and mumbled under her breath every time she passed lap scoring but kept going to claim second spot with 5 laps. In third place was Dirtbike-Traxs newcomer, Nieve Holmes, who was keen to give H & H a bash after a very successful trails season. Nieve thoroughly enjoyed the day and did really well to tough it out and get the third place with 4 laps. With the morning activities out of the way, it was all hands to the pumps to get the extra bits of the track in place ready for the adults. A new technical wooded section was added along with the regular tyres and logs section.
As if the ground conditions were not tough enough, the rain started to drizzle just in time for the start of the adults' race. First off the line and into the sweeping right hander for the Experts was Andy Noakley, closely followed by Liam Eddleston, making his move up to the Expert class. After lap 1, Alex Owen had eased his way past Andy and Liam and was on the charge to establish his lead. Andy and Liam were not going to let Alex off without a battle and with less than 20 seconds separating the three, this was going to be a great
race. As the race progressed, Andy was a class act to watch as he glided smoothly through the ruts and bogs, picking his way around the back markers, to take the lead, which he maintained for the remainder of the race and finished 1st with 16 laps. The real battle was between the two mates Liam and Alex, it was Alex who managed to pull away in the latter stages and finish in second with 15 laps, just over 8 minutes ahead of Liam, also on 15 laps. Local lad Steve Newbold found the conditions a bit too tough and was found taking a breather on many occasions before retiring at the 2 hour mark.
Hot off the line in the Clubman class on his new Gas Gas, was "Team Dangerous" Daz Skillin closely followed by Lee Stansfield. Daz's race was unfortunately cut short after shearing his foot peg on lap 6. Nobody could catch Lee as he worked hard to increase his lead. At the end of the race, Lee clocked up another win, finishing with 16 laps, a lap ahead of nearest rival
Stuart Waterhouse in second and Matthew Ward in third with 14 laps.
In the Over 40s class Howard Blundell was on for a series win if he could stay the course. David King was Howard's main rival and the pair stretched out a massive lead from the rest of the group. By the time the two and a half hours were up Howard and David had clocked up 14 laps, with Howard taking the win by nearly 5 minutes. In third place on his first race for while was Paul Hamilton who managed to notch up 12 gruelling laps.
The Sportsman E1 class turned out to be a race of attrition with only three finishers. Ryan Bullman was the clear winner with 10 laps, it would have been a different story if Andy Pulfrey had not been forced to retire due to a snapped chain with 12 minutes remaining and already 11 laps under his belt. After a half time pep talk from her race veteran father, Jade Gordon showed some true fighting spirit to take second place with 8 laps and Jake Barnard stuck with it and toughed it out for 5 laps to take third. Julian Holmes, back after a 5 year break, came off exhausted with a minute of the race left after completing 9 laps, one more lap was just too much for the him this time.
Finally in the Sportsman Open class clear series leader, Dan Hunter was determined not to let series rival Jay McGarry steal the show on his brand new KTM 350 XCF. Things went from bad to worse for Dan as the bike failed to start on the line and then half way through the race he dropped the bike smashing the clutch casing. With Dan out of action, Joe Webster lead the class and held his lead throughout, finishing with 14 laps. In second place was Matthew North, also sporting a new bike, who had another blinding race, finishing also on 14 laps. In third place and back early from his winter hibernation was Karl Chadwick with 13 laps. Jay found the slog too exhausting on the old frame but managed a respectable 10 laps.
Results
A big congratulations is thoroughly deserved to everyone who turned up and showed their support, the smile on the faces at the end of the race makes all the hard work and effort before and after the race worth it. Thanks again to all the guys and girls behind the scenes who work tirelessly to make these events the success they are.
T
rack n Trail Winter Series Round 3 Weatherby Fort 13th February 2011
WHO'S UP FOR MUD PIES?Report for Track n Trail by Jackie Cogdell
The foul weather that was forecast all week held off until Saturday night where it continued to rain on and off throughout the race, there was still a strong turn out and all riders were positive before the start flag. On the sighting lap some riders found it more interesting than they had anticipated and many of the novice class riders decided that they would take an early bath.
The weather and the track failed to dampen #99 Phil Studley's efforts (above) and he took an admirable first place in the Championship class, he was chased hard throughout the race by David Biles. Expert class winner was Dan Bray, closely followed by Darren Hounsell.
The Expert over 40 class was won by Charlie Richards, chased home by Stuart Keedwell. Clubman 2stroke class was taken by Daniel Richards with Ian Barnett coming home second. In Clubman 4stroke Giles Richards was 1st and Jacque Stevens 2nd. Over 50's was won by Steve Taylor, with Mike Hill finishing 2nd. Not everyone found the going so straightforward. Some even chose to practice their crowd-pleasing wheelies on the Way.
If the youth race was to be a film it would be "True Grit" because that's what they all demonstrated today, the adults had all but destroyed the track and the rain was falling almost constantly yet the young riders were all determined to enjoy themselves, and maybe they did! The climbs were so much fun they were queuing up to tackle them.
First place was taken by Matt Baber followed closely by Harvey Dark taking second place in the Youth 125 group.
The popular Big Wheel 85cc class was won by Dylan Baynton, 2nd place was Mitchell Miller. Jake Meaker took first in the small wheel 85cc class, followed home by Joe Newman. The ever happy 65cc class was won by Matthew Martin, 2nd place was Joseph Peppard.
Finally. Thanks to all those who helped throughout the, wet, muddy and cold day.
13th March - Track n Trails Winter Series - Round 4 - Winchester10th April - Track N Trail Winter Series - Round 5 - The Final, Beaminster15th May - Track n Trails Summer Series - Round 1 - Venue TBA12th June - Track n Trails Summer Series - Round 2 - Venue TBA17h July - Track n Trails Summer Series - Round 3 - Venue TBA - Details28th August - Track n Trails Summer Series - Round 4 - Venue TBA25th September - Track n Trails Summer Series - Round 5 - Venue TBA23rd October - Track n Trails Winter Series - Round 1 - Venue TBA
MOTUL MOTO DURO13th FebruaryCaverswall, Midlands.Report : WOREMPics: Linden Adams Photography.
With horrendous weather conditions pouring rain all over the UK last weekend, the decision by WOR Events to stage an event in their new sand quarry in the Midlands was an ace played as a great two days sport took place. Parking was simply not a problem as the deep red sand base soaked up the drink and everyone drove in and out with no fuss, and at this time of year that is a huge plus for any event. It would be hard to imagine another venue being so weather proof.
The Saturday was a play day with unrestricted practice and a really friendly atmosphere around the paddock. The Sunshine was out for most of Saturday and the track conditions were just about perfect.
However from Sunday morning when the races were kicking off, the conditions on the small but very neat and
enjoyable course were very different. The loop was around 5 minutes long and had a little bit of everything, Hills, berms, puddles, natural jumps etc, spectators could see all the action and the format of each rider getting three fourty five minute races was just perfect for this location.
Moto Duro mixes moto x type going with a slightly longer lap than MX, longer race duration than MX and some enduro type bits of terrain mixed into the course. This is a very popular format and one that really does bring both types of racing together.
A full entry all turned up on Sunday morning with a very strong Expert Line up set to do battle with each other and this gem of a venue. Harry Hillas on his KTM took the spoils in the first moto, in his new Wulfsport International Livery the young Halifax based rider was on a mission and picked his way through the pack and took the lead from early leader, Lincoln Brewster and the super smooth Gas Gas mounted Tim Forman.
With over 6 action packed races the racing stayed true and fair throughout the day and with 2 wins and a second place, Tim Forman took his second overall WOR victory in as many weeks, This chap will certainly be the guy to beat this year at WOR. Hillas had his rear silencer break up on him whilst in the lead of race 2 which forced race director Steve Ireland's hand to remove the loud bike from the circuit. Ashley Fox on the CF Racing Kawasaki 450i was in great form in race two and pushed the
leader all the way for a strong second place, just the result and performance young Fox needed after his disappointment at the BSEC the day before. Lincoln Brewster is slowly coming back to fitness and with two thirds and a second he secured 2nd overall for the day. MX rider Joe Chambers took a well earned 3rd overall with some consistent scores.
As the day went on each race had slightly less riders in it as the sand was simply eating riders brake pads in a very quick and aggressive manner, some riders even went through a set per race!! Jane Daniels was unstoppable in the Clubman class with 3 straight 20 points wins. Showing the guys exactly how it should be done this young lady simply walked it and with the ability and growth this girl is showing she will most certainly be in the Experts some time in 2011. The opinion is this girl can go on and achieve big things in the World of off road riding. Runner up in the clubman (Clubperson!) class was Young Harrison Bell, again another rider that is flourishing with every ride. At 14 he has lots to learn but has some brilliant ability at his disposal. In third place is another young starlet, Jon Hill took consistent results to the bronze overall position in class.
Ian Barnett was in top form in the Veteran A class, 2 wins and a second saw him take the advantage from Chris Wagstaffe and third placed Huw Edwards. Gareth Lloyd from CF Racing Kawasaki was going well but an unplanned swim in the first race took the challenge out of Lloyd for the day and he did not make the last Race. Colin Jones was also going very well on his new KTM 350XCF and after running it in the day before he took a solid runner place to Barnett in the first moto only for a lack of fitness to rule him out for the rest of the days action. TM 125 mounted Gavin Beech is a proper Enduro rider, Gavin rode to the event on the bike, won all 3 motos of his races and rode home…A star performance. Runner up in Sportsman after the 3 moto races was the always improving and smiling Rob White, Jamie Price took a well deserved third place overall with some consistent results although the fact he used two sets of brake pads upset him!
In the Veteran B class it was Glyn Jones with two seconds and a win that enjoyed top spot from David Williams, These two had a proper ding dong in each race and seemed to really enjoy their day to the maximum. Bronze overall in class went to Darran Pegg with 3 very consistent rides.
Top lady was Emily Davey who is one determined lady who won't let any course be the better of her. Emily shows true grit every time she rides and fully earned her award at the presentation. Top Novice was Nick Bennet; this young man is in a fine run of form at present and is now moving up to the Sportsman Class as a reward for his efforts. Runner up to Bennett after 125` minutes of action was Mark Plain with Thomas Walker rounding out the podium. Jack Ditchfield was flying in the youth class and with 2 wins and a runners up he fully deserved his class win with some great overall results throughout. Charlie Nicholls on his Yam 125 was also going really well and seemed to love the sandy conditions, albeit wet and like grinding paste towards the end., Nicholls had two seconds and a win to earn his silver podium place. The very likeable Matt Boam rounded out the top 3 with some steady rides but left early and missed his trophy on the podium.
So after a full days action the venue emptied as quick as it had filled up in the morning and riders drove away beeping their horns and waving with thumbs up at the hard working WOR team that yet again delivered a superb days sport for it's growing band of riders. Well done to all and a big thank you goes out to the landowners and the people behind the scenes that make WOR Events what it is.
Results
HELMSLEY ENDURO 13 FEB
Emson wins at Helmsley
Dirtbike-action team set out a compact enduro at Roppa moor plantation near Helmsley, with 2 time checks and a flowing special test, the course was testing with its winding trails and wider tracks through the trees , although the weather had been bad over the previous week and it rained during the event the course stood up well , with a good entry of expert riders ,it was a new comer to the expert class Reece Emson that stole the show winning the event with five consistent special test that gave him a narrow 2 second overall margin over the experienced Biff Smith , with Vince Harker third. in the clubman class it was the youthful john Bradford with 4 test all within 6 seconds of each other gave him a 34 second winning margin over Glen Broadhurst , in third place new to time cards was. Lewis Fast.
Gary Parr won the 040 class from Chesterfields John Boden, In the sportsman class Sam Brown was the man that stole the show with a good win in his first time card event with a slender 5 second margin over the ras sport boss Roy Palmer, Harrogate's Liam Radcliffe was third, Chris edge was the sole survivor in the over 50 class
Results
The club were please with the support the event received and the positive comments from the riders, it was a good warm up event for the north of England enduro championship starts in spring, a big thanks to all the girls on the checks and test and to all the marshals who make these events possible. The next Enduro for Dirtbike Action is the 2nd round of the BEC and NEEC at Harwood in Northumberland , regs out soon on www.dirtbike-action.co.uk
For details on the north of England enduro championship http://www.enduro-neec.org.uk
Mudie Bond Winter seriesWyre Forest Off Road Hosted the final rounds of the Youth & Adult Mudie Bond Winter series at Coney Green farm Stourport-on-Severn.
Saturday made way for the Youth riders with almost perfect ground & weather conditions on the extended 5.5 mile lap. Out first were the 65cc & 50cc riders Sam Davies Hole shot was short lived as Oliver Sheldon soon took up the lead in the 50cc class & never put a foot wrong to take a clear win 4 minutes in front of second place Sam Davies with Patrick Borge in 3rd, Taylor Morton 4th & Ewan Potter 5th, Sam Davies commented to me after the race he just wanted a finish and not push to hard so he could take the overall series win, Then I hear through the grapevine he Won the overall Wilden MX championship the following day, Well done Sam... In the 65cc class the racing could not have been closer William Stansbie finished 1st , just 12 seconds behind him in 2nd place was Archie Hicks after battling his way back up to the front from some earlier mishaps, Domonic Lancett (left) was just another 30 seconds behind in 3rd.
Race 2 was for the older solo riders Tom Crump took an early lead, Liam Garbett managed to pull himself up to 2nd place overall just a few seconds behind the leader after starting at the back but had to retire on his 4th lap when an old thumb injury became to
painfull which allowed team mate Ash Bowden to take up the 2nd place slot, after pushing Tom hard he managed to pass to take up the lead but a fuel stop allowed Crump back through to take the overall win & the 125cc class win Josh Bennett & Callum Reynalds 2nd & 3rd, Luke Smith sat this round out as he had already won the overall series. Ashley Bowden although 3rd overall Still managed to take win in the 250cc 4t class & win the series in his group, not far behind in 2nd was Andy Bull & Sam Turner 3rd. Riders of the day has to go to Brad Freeman & Jack Edmondson in the 85cc 13yrs & over, these two battled from start to finish with Brad in the lead & Jack chasing, the harder Jack pushed the faster Brad rode with the end result Brad taking the class win & Jack 2nd but Brad managed to finish 2nd overall in the race just 5 second behind the leader & Jack 5th overall , Amazing riding boys, John Hunt finished 3rd & Adam James 4th in class. Ross Truszkowski put up fantastic performance to take his first club win in the 85cc u13yrs class pushing that hard his hands bled, Atoine Criq 2nd & Jacob (Bharrrp) Bowden 3rd.
Race 3 the quads took to the track off first was the Blaster class Jamie Morgan sat and waited after the flag dropped when he felt the other had a sufficient lead he dropped the hammer & he was off within one lap he was up to 3rd by the end of the 2nd lap he was leading and still found time to chat to his pit crew before taking the win, Harry Brennan
fought hard to hold onto as Kyle Hawkes in 3rd was never far behind. Dexter Langford looked set to challenge the lead at one point until his rear shock broke on the 2nd lap. Matty Morris took up his normal spot at the front in the 10yrs & over auto quad class to take the win with Iestyn Rowlands on his 125cc 4t raptor in 2nd & Callum Owen in 3rd. Henry Yardley took the win in the under 10yrs auto quad class
Sunday made way for a 6 mile more technical track for the Adult solo & quad riders with steep drop off's, tricky woodland section & an long extreme up & down hill. Out first were the solo's riders, Liam Garbett after filling up on pain killers for his thumb injury took the hole shot in the Expert class, the weather could not have been any more different from the day before, when the rain started the track conditions started to
deteriate, Garbett look set to take the win with over a minutes lead on 2nd place but on his 9th lap lost the front end of his bike in the now very slippy mud & knocked himself out on a tree root and had to spend the rest of the race in the ambulance, Liam would like to say thank you to the riders that stopped and stayed with him making sure he was ok until Marshals & first aid arrived, up to that point the front 5 position in the expert class were all made up of WFOR youth riders showing the talent of the youth riders of today. Andy Bull took the overall win with Ashley Bowden 2nd James Paczynski 3rd, Luke Smith & Tom crump originally in the top 5 places suffered problems with Smith getting a puncture & having to borrow a wheel from an a friends abandoned bike in the pits but still managing 5th place & Crump shearing off his rear sprocket but still looked set for high place finish.In the clubman class Ryan Faulks put in very successful performance in his first race with the club to take the win a full lap in front of WFOR youth rider Josh Bennett, Ian Strudley just 20 seconds behind finished 3rd.
Last race of the weekend was the adult quads, by now it had been raining for 4hrs so conditions were getting very tricky but none of the track was changed and the mud fest began. Darren Bridge took the hole shot in the expert class but Ian Johnson put in a strong challenge to take the win from Bridge who had to settle for 2nd place, Gary Barnes Brought his 660 raptor out of retirement after over 6yrs of not racing & managed to finish a very tired & weiry 3rd place. In the clubman class Billy Langford dominated from start to finish to take the win with Andrew Shepherd in 2nd & Josh Langford in 3rd all a lap ahead of the rest of the field. well done to Timmy Tugboat Morgan finishing 7th, only the 2nd time on a quad not bad for a solo rider.
Thank you to all the riders & marshals for all their support through out the winter series.
Youth Results65cc 1st William Stansbie 2nd Archie Hicks 3rd Dominic Lancett 4th Harry Edmondson 5th William CriqAuto 50cc 1st Oliver Sheldon 2nd Sam Davies 3rd Patrick Borge 4th Taylor Morton 5th Ewan Potter125cc 1st Tom Crump 2nd Josh Bennett 3rd Callum Reynalds 4th Matty Guise 5th Sam Sault250cc 4t 1st Ashley Bowden 2nd Andrew Bull 3rd Sam Turner 4th Henry CarrollBlaster class 1st Jamie Morgan 2nd Harry Brennan 3rd Kyle Hawkes 4th Kieron Clarke 5th Endaf Owen A.Q +10yrs 1st Matty Morris 2nd Iestyn rowlands 3rd Callum Owen 4th Thomas ChellA.Q U10yrs 1st Henry Yardley AdultsAdult Solo Expert 1st Andrew Bull 2nd Ashley Bowden 3rd James Paczynski 4th Craig Chamberlain 5th Luke SmithAdult Solo Clubman 1st Ryan Faulks 2nd Josh Bennett 3rd Ian Strudley 4th Sam Hoskins 5th Callum WatersAdult Quad Expert 1st Ian Johnson 2nd Darren Bridge 3rd Gary Barnes 4th Simon Lang 5th Neil MartinAdult Clubman Quad 1st Billy Langford 2nd Andrew Shepherd 3rd Josh Langford 4th Jack Godfrey 5th Clyde Thompsonfor the Manx 2 Day and sidecar championship round. Having spent 52
Dave Biles wins at TidworthSETRA, Chalkpit Hill, Tidworth -20th FebruaryReport & Photos Richard Troth Teamsnapper
Had a bit of rain two days before the event which made the going very tacky in the wet chalky areas but the course itself was in super condition on the upper plains and woodland sections, Event was sold out well before the event with is great news for SETRA as they put alot of effort into their events.
The off was at 1000 for the first 4 riders and the format was four riders released every minute which to me is a superb way to avoid that melee at some starts, Rob Mussell (KTM) had the number 1 plate and was first away but the number 13 bike of Ian Watt soon took the lead on his Husqvarna, it was soon evident after the first 45 minutes that Expert rider Dave Biles (KTM) would be the man to catch who seems to relish in these conditions and never looked fazed from start to finish and was deserved winner on the day, runner up spot in the expert class went to Dan Bray (KTM) who rode very well but got caught behind slower riders a couple of times which held him up a bit but still managed to equal winners 12 laps, 3rd place in the expert class went to Ashley Williamson (KTM) with 11 laps.
Clubman A Class went to Peter King on his TM who had a superb ride and really was one of the most entertaining riders of the day and won the class unchallenged with 11 laps, great battle between Reg Sheppherd (KTM) and
Thomas Moss (Yamaha) for 2nd and 3rd place both achieving 10 laps but the higher podium position went to Reg on his KTM. Also in this class was Tim Harvey (Ex touring car champion, TV commentator and Porsche cup race winner) who came a fantastic 4th place on his Yamaha.
Clubman B a very competitive class with all 3 podium finishers all completed 10 laps and over the 3 hours the top 3 positions in this class changed constantly, coming in 3rd position on his Honda was Gavin Cole and local farmer Graham Lovell (KTM) was 2nd, and the top podium position going to the KTM mounted Simon Gates.
Would also like to mention Ben Pope who travelled a long way to ride his BMW 1200 and in these conditions and the weight of his machine is a credit to him with 4 laps.
Sportsman class was won by rider Elliot Croft on a Honda who completed 9 laps and was deserved winner in this class however the battle for 2nd and 3rd was much tighter with the Honda mounted Darren Mason piping local mercedes truck dealer service manager Bob Steel on his Husaberg for 2nd place.
Sidecar class had a good entry and a mention must go to Eiran Rees who managed 7 laps of this very demanding tacky circuit with only 1 arm, who doesn’t let his disability stop his enjoyment and i myself witnessed his outfit rolling over but sadly my camera was not at the ready but fair play to their mettle for getting back on and finishing the day, however the winners of this class with 10 laps on their husky Alun Davies and James Ferguson with runner up spot going to Tim and Sam Wilkinson on their KTM with 9 laps and the final podium place was Andrew Thomas and Dean Welsh on their KTM with 8 laps. - Provisional Results - Photos
Putoline XC ChampionshipRound 2 at Ashby - 20th February
The second round of the Putoline XC series ran at the popular Ashby de la Zouche venue on Sunday.
Up to Saturday the course was in great shape but heavy rain throughout Saturday left the ground as heavy going in places, especially in the virgin woodland section. Although Sunday remained dry there were a few sticky spots but as the adult race progressed a few small changes made the course flow better and gave the riders an easier time.
The Youth race was off first and Jack Edmondson (below) , in the 85-150 class, made his intentions clear by taking the hole-shot and pulling a considerable lead within the first few hundred yards.
Jacko piled on the pressure and was a country mile ahead for the whole race, taking the overall win by some six and a half minutes over Oli Benton with Adam James just under a minute behind in third place, all on 12 laps.
Alex Walton and Brad Sullivan had their own private battle going on in the 85SW class. It was a tough course for small wheelers
but the boys stuck to task with Walton eventually taking the class win ahead of Sullivan as Dan Gibbons took third place, two laps adrift of the leaders.
Ryan Rowlands dominated the 65cc class despite heavy pressure from Harry Edmondson initially. Rowlands managed to eke out a lap lead over Harry who was closely tailed by Max Ditchfield in third place just under a minute and a half adrift.
Hannah Murray did considerably better in the Girls class. She took the win with three laps to spare over second placed Mollie Law as Amelia Arnold rode hard to take third place.
Just after Midday the adults lined up and the Pro-Expert class saw an impressive array of riders jostling for position.
It was Midwest Husaberg rider James Jackman who took the lead straight off the line but the experienced Derek Bawn just managed to put in a pass before the pack disappeared into the woodland section with Lewis Belfield in hot pursuit. Ben Burrell (above) was last off the line, his bike taking a while to fire up but as the riders appeared at lap scoring for the first time he had climbed to second place, just behind Belfield who had taken the lead.
It looked as if the race was to be a repeat of the opening round at Bicton with Belfield and Burrell banging bars throughout but Belfield withdrew after four laps, leaving Burrell, the only rider to clock up 14 laps, to take the win by a clear lap over Derek Bawn. James Jackman really got to grips with the Berg and third place, just 30 seconds behind Bawn, was just reward as he familiarised himself with his new bike.
Jeremy Callow climbed to sixth overall with a really impressive ride as he headed for the Clubman class win a lap ahead of Alec Trawford and Grant Churchwood.
Adrian Measures topped the Sportsman class, he climbed to 14th overall which was quite an achievement for a Sportsman rider, as Anthony Trawford took second in class a lap down on the leader. Rob White was a further lap adrift in third place.
As usual the Veterans class was a 'battle royale'. Four out of the top five riders finished on 12 laps with just a handful of minutes between them. Richard Cutts and David Stokes led the battle initially but Stokes eventually pulled three minutes clear of Cutts to take the win as Oakland International rider Craig Attwell capitalised on the absence of team-mate Craig Parkes and took a very well-deserved third place three seconds behind Cutts.
The Novice class had quite a few 'first timers' amongst its ranks and this was a tough event to start with but Scott Booth really earned his spurs as he climbed to third place, just behind winner Alan Stockdale and second placed Tom Russell. Stockdale had a lap lead on the rest of the class but Booth continued to plug away and third place in his first event was very good going.
Brad Freeman claimed the Youth class win a lap clear of Harland White as Kyle Guise took third place.
This was a tough but very enjoyable outing for riders in the type of conditions only to be expected in late February and the fast Eddy crew did well to plan such an enjoyable course.
Results
Youth Race85-150cc 1 Jack Edmondson 2 Oli Benton 3 Adam James 4 Antoine Criq 5 Harry Aughterlony85ccSW 1 Alex Walton 2 Brad Sullivan 3 Daniel Gibbons 4 Jordan Kendrick-Jones 5 Ryan Hughes65cc 1 Ryan Rowlands 2 Harry Edmondson 3 Max Ditchfield 4 Ben Clark 5 Ben MurrayGirls 1 Hannah Murray 2 Mollie Law 3 Amelia Arnold 4 Holly Middleton
Adult RacePro-Expert 1 Ben Burrell 2 Derek Bawn 3 James Jackman 4 Ryan Staveley 5 Rhys DaviesClubman 1 Jeremy Callow 2 Alec Trawford 3 Grant Churchwood 4 Chris Pryce 5 Kev Sandland Sportsman 1 Adrian Measures 2 Anthony Trawford 3 Rob White 4 Gav Tatchell 5 Kieron JordanVeterans 1 David Stokes 2 Richard Cutts 3 Craig Attwell 4 Dennis Harrison 5 Robert OakleyNovice 1 Alan Stockdale 2 Thomas Russell 3 Scott Booth 4 Shaun Cornwall 5 Ian KaneYouth 1 Brad Freeman 2 Harland White 3 Kyle Guise 4 Ash Bowden 5 George Birchill
Full results
Fast Eddy Putoline 2011 Championship Rd 1 30th Jan Bicton, Shrewsbury SW3 8EU.Rd 2 20th Feb Ashby, Eastern Old Parks Farm, Nottingham Rd. LE65 1SBRd 3 27th March Stourport, Worcestershire DY13 0TERd 4 17th April, Butts Quarry, Ashover, Derbyshire S45 0HWRd 5 15th May, Monmouth, Monmouthshire (postcode coming soon)Rd 6 26th June Pen y bont, Mid Wales (postcode coming soon)Rd 7 17th July, Saints Well, Penbrinycenaur Mid Wales LD1 6PTRd 8 18th September, Ashby Eastern Old Parks Farm, Nottingham Rd, LE65 1SB
Doodson Motorsport Championship Round 1 Ellington Banks RiponReport RideoffroadUKImages Ash Smith
RideoffroadUK had a clean slate to start the 2011 Championship, a local venue to the rideoffroaduk HQ, Ellington Banks was used for its superb all weather capabilities.
Planning events in the winter months is not for the faint hearted, and with a dusting of snow the day before the event we were all reminded that we are still in the winter months.
Wayne Braybrook and his trusty track workers had planned the perfect course taking into account the new Sportsman Beginners class. The course used the MOD Off road driver training areas and surrounding tracks and trails. With the ground able to take weeks of rain without stopping the event taking place, competitors were greeted on Sunday morning with a hard standing paddock and indoor signing on and catering, job well organised.
Sunday 8am saw the dedicated Youth classes on the start line and ready to go. The one hour event was timed to perfection with all youth riders finishing the event. Dalton Shannon took a convincing win and looked smooth and stylish in the slick conditions. Ronnie Hill earned a great runner up spot despite a first lap off on a big puddle, and Josh Patrick rounded out the Youth B Podium. Dawson Marriott worked hard in the muddy conditions on his Mansfield Motorcycles KTM and finished just ahead of rideoffroaduk newcomer Reece
Pickersgill. Both riders did themselves proud in the small wheel Junior class. Nieve Holmes took the Youth A trophy and Dunlop cap home for her impressive 5 lap tally.
As ever the morning Sportsman, Beginners, Ladies and Over50 vets event was full to bursting, all riders were briefed on new 2011 club rules. All riders conduct throughout the day was nothing short of the best we have seen.
Andy Myers was the first around to lap scoring, Andy’s speed has improved dramatically since his switch to 2 stroke machinery and this showed throughout the event. At the finish he was just pipped on the last lap by Joe Webster finishing just 25 seconds ahead of him. Rounding out the podium was John Steeples, the top 4 riders all completed 16 laps.
The Ladies class was dominated by Katy Bullock on her 125 MPS Husqvarna, Katy had a superb race pace, she used it well to make MPS Husky boss Mick Seward a happy man as it’s the teams first win of 2011. Runner up spot went to the gutsy Jade Gordon, with mum Anita Gordon back to full fitness performing well in the difficult conditions.
The New Sportsman Beginner class has really created a buzz in the rideoffroaduk paddock. Mark Neal took his first win of the year getting 13 laps in, runner up spot went to Sean O’Brien, and Dominic Bunting was the final trophy winner on 12 laps completed. This new concept allows riders with less than 1 years experience the chance to run in their own class, ensuring competition stays healthy in the hobby rider ranks.
Over50 class honours were stolen by John Brindley. John kept out of trouble and narrowly beat Steve Shaw at the flag by a mere 55 seconds. Mark Paine filled the final podium spot, last years Over50 champ Steve Burton took fourth place despite being under the weather.After a short break for lunch and track repairs, the more experienced Expert, Over 40 and Clubman riders were ready to do battle. As on lookers waited, the warm engines sign was given. With an Expert line up of no less than 16 riders, the quality of competitors was simply awesome.
Fast starting Harry Hillas took his Wulfsport International supported KTM to the perfect start after Jack Lees holeshot was spoilt when he stalled in the first corner, he was followed by MPS Husky man Jack Rowland, and in hot pursuit were the likes of Andy Noakley and Scott Austin - making the journey from Northampton was new
enduro convert and ex trials top man Jack Lee from John Lee Motorcycles. Tom Healey out on a new four stroke had a below average start, still getting used to the technique of firing up a four banger on the line. With Hillas out front it was up to Austin, Healey, Lee and expert upgrade Andy Noakley to do the swapping of places. As conditions at Ellington stayed constant, lap times followed suit, timing his last few laps to perfection Harry Hillas took a resounding win to celebrate with his new sponsor MM Acquisitions his first rideoffroaduk win of the season. Tom Healey settled down to take runner up spot, with rideoffroaduk team member Andy Noakley over the moon rounding out the podium on his KTM 250 XC. 2010 Champ Scott Austin had a below par meeting with a few bike problems, this will only fuel his fire for future events.
The super competitive Clubman class was won by another rideoffroadUK team rider Rob Dawson, Rob’s winter training schedule has now been proven, showing that preparation is the key to winter events. Runner up spot went to ex trials man Mark Harrison on his Gas Gas, with another Gas Gas rider Matty Bell getting his season off to a great start with a steady third place. In the Over40 class David King came out on top, Chris Cooper took his KTM to a superb runner up spot, Phil Dodsworth rounded out the podium with a fine third place.
Well done to all competitors, the first event of 2011 went off in fine style showing that rideoffroadUK have not sat back on their laurels, the hard work planning during the off season is starting to come to fruition.
Massive thanks to all our hard working marshals and officials, the next round of the Doodson Motorsport Championship will take place on March 6th at a new to be confirmed venue in the North of England.
For info on future events, training schools and industry links visit www.rideoffroaduk.co.uk
The first round of the Rock Oil AMCA British Hare & Hound Championship took place at the infamous Shuckburgh Hall in Warwickshire. Set in a Private Deer Park and made up of mainly woodland going with 2 flat out stubble sections to clear out the bikes. A good turn out especially as the weather Friday night and mostly all day Saturday saw all the hard work and planning got out of the window. But with a lot of hard work and alterations a track was built to suit the conditions if that was possible at this venue with its clay based soil which can be slippery in the dry. This was also the first round of the Cotswold Club Champs so two meetings in one and also 2 lots of points, so three hours of traditional Hare & Hound racing In front of the riders the first few laps saw the riders and marshals' work very hard to keep things together in the early stages.
After 1.5 hours the track was getting better and better the racing in all the classes was very close through out which was good to see especially with a lot of the riders traveling long distances to compete in this genuine Championship against new riders they have never ridden against before
A bad off at the 2 hour mark saw club regular and former Club Champion Keith Jenkins need the Air Ambulance after a big collision with an Oak Tree. I am glad to say Keith is now being put back together but needs a pin and plate to mend his leg and hip - so speedy recovery and we all hope to see him soon. Keith is a very popular rider at the Club and a big pat on the back to the Clubs Marshalls' and the First Aid and Paramedics who handled the situation very professionally - well done. So apart from this unfortunate incident a very good start to the Championship. Very close racing in all the classes has set the seal for a very competitive series. Results
"Roberts Shuck the Rock"Report Pete Carter Photo Pete Cobbe
The British Youth EnduroRd.1 at Red Marley, Bromsberrow, Gloucestershire. Video
The opening round of the 2011 British Youth Enduro Championship, sponsored by Golden Tyre, got of to a flying start last weekend at the sandy Red Marley course near Bromsberrow in Gloucestershire.
The venue turned out to be a very smart choice by organiser Darren Gwyther, overnight rain on Friday and into early Saturday morning had little or no effect on the sandy soil and the Junior riders had not trouble getting around the large course with its gently rolling contours. One steep climb caused a little trouble on the sighting lap for the Auto riders but was quickly resolved when the marshals simply moved the track markers across the slope making a longer but less steep climb.
Adding to the event, the weather was very kind. As the Junior riders set off for their sighting lap the sun came out and continued to bathe the venue intermittently throughout the day.
With seventy-eight riders on the start line the BYE series really felt as if it had established itself having come into creation only last season. The day was divided into two races, starting with the Juniors (Auto's and 65cc's) followed by the Seniors (85, 125 and 250cc).
Once racing began 65cc rider Ryan Rowlands stole the show and led from the front for 15 laps, a lap clear of his closest competitor William Stansbie. Young Williams perseverance really paid off as he placed second overall despite being pushed hard by following rider Dominic Lancett. Lancett held on to third position as James Hanscombe took fourth and James Bates fifth in the 65cc's.
All of the Auto class competitors did well around the large lap but it was Curtis Grose and Oliver Sheldon who were vying for the lead throughout the race. Grose just beat Sheldon to the finish line as both riders completed 13 laps. Alfie Webb sat in a comfortable third position ahead of Charlie Palmer and Callum Baldwin.
A large entry of Senior riders roared off the line just after midday. A seriously challenging woodland section, with lots of slippery off-cambers, was added to the lap but few of the young riders seemed phased by it at all.
In the 250cc class Bruce Eadle was constantly challenged by Scott Jenkins and Sophie Thomas. Thomas had recently returned to racing after a lengthy rest. All three riders matched each other lap for lap but Eadle kept calm and kept his slight lead right to the finish with Jenkins taking second position and Thomas third. The top three were joined on the podium by Henry Carroll and Jack Liddiard.
The real hard-chargers of this race came from the Over 13 85cc class. Brad Freeman took control right from the start and put in 15 super fast laps to win his class and the race overall. With Freeman totally in control, Dom Thomas and Jack Edmondson battled hard throughout the duration for second and third spots. A slight mistake from Jacko allowed Dom to cruise to second position and he had to settle for third. Both riders were on 14 laps, one down on Brad Freeman.
Joe Gwyther had a testing time in the Under 13 85cc class. From the moment the start flag dropped he held the lead and was pushing hard. He pulled quite a lead on the opening lap but managed to get his gear change bent under the engine casing and rode the last part of the lap using only first gear until he could pit stop and fix the problem. This handed the lead to Ben Coleman but Gwyther soon recovered and took the victory with Coleman second and Antoine Criq third. Brad Edwards, fourth, nearly closed the gap on Criq but fell just short of the mark as Dean Edwards slipped into fifth position.
The 125cc class was also fiercely contested. Katie walker took the holeshot and began to pull away from the pack with only Lewis Lloyd in close competition. Both rider managed 14 laps but the victory went to Lloyd who eventually caught and passed Walker but it was a hard-fought win. Jordan Pyne was a hot contender to take the class win but was somewhat shocked by the pace of the leading pair. He rode hard and eventually took third place a lap down on the leading pair. Josh Aughterlony wasn't far behind Pyne and finished in a creditable fourth place ahead of Henry Kingsley in fifth.
The support from riders was very encouraging at the start of a new race series in its first full year. The course was excellent and perfectly suited to the riders abilities and the organisation was excellent. Despite having to use the tradition 'holepunch and card' system to lap score while a new computer program is written, the results were out within minutes and were spot on.
This series looks set to take Youth Enduro by storm as word spreads and more riders are attracted to it. The friendly, family atmosphere and laid-back approach of the organisers convinced many parents that this was the series to stick with.
ResultsJuniors Auto 1 Curtis Grose 2 Oliver Sheldon 3 Alfie Webb 4 Charlie Palmer 5 Callum Baldwin65cc 1 Ryan Rowlands 2 William Stansbie 3 Dominic Lancett 4 James Hanscomb 5 James BatesSeniors85cc Over 13 1 Brad Freeman 2 Dominic Thomas 3 Jack Edmondson 4 Daniel Wheeler 5 Harry Aughterlony85cc Under 13 1 Joe Gwyther 2 Ben Coleman 3 Antoine Criq 4 Brad Edwards 5 Dean Edwards125cc 1 Lewis Lloyd 2 Katie Walker 3 Jordan Pyne 4 Josh Aughterlony 5 Henry Kingsley250cc 1 Bruce Eadle 2 Scott Jenkins 3 Sophie Thomas 4 Henry Carroll 5 Jack Liddiard
Putoline & Eurotek KTM sponsored Northern Counties Hare and Hounds ChampionshipRound 1 - Driffield, East Yorkshire
A Voase to be reckoned with
True Grit Off Road kicked off the Putoline & Eurotek KTM sponsored Northern Counties Hare and Hounds Championship with round 1 at the old favourite venue at Driffield, East Yorkshire with an entry of nearly 300 riders. Working hard over the last few weeks, the True Grit team put together a fantastic track for all abilities using woodland, quarry and fast flowing sections, with a shortened version track for the youth race.
The day got under way as the sun shone across the track at 7.45am as the young riders queued up to sign on. After a message from the broken down medics the youth race had a slight delay but got underway at 10am
as Martin Field set away the riders on their 90 minute Hare and Hounds Scramble. Doltan Shannon led the Senior B's off the start line taking the holeshot, but it was Tim Gardham who took the 1st place win with an outstanding ride, the only rider of the morning race to complete 16 laps, closely followed by True Grit Rider Dan Bewlay who sadly missed out on getting the 16th lap by only 2 seconds, 3rd place went to Billy Steinman who was 6mins 47 seconds behind Dan Bewlay but also completed 15 laps.
The ladies class had a great turn out and were next to fire up their bikes for the 90 minute race. It was Kate Smith who showed true girl power as she beat the ladies into the first corner closely followed by Megan Wilson. Ellie Cooke rode excellently and completed 13laps and took 1st place, Hope Jennings and Megan Wilson followed closely, both completing 12 laps taking 2nd & 3rd respectively.
The adrenaline kicked in for the juniors as they watched the other classes set away They rode on the smaller bikes ranging from 50cc to 65cc and some as young as 8yrs old, but after an outstanding race it was Dawson Marriott who completed 11 laps with a 1 minute 35 second lead on Oliver Dougherty who was closely followed by Cain Tailford also completing 11 laps.
After a large influx of enter on the day riders at the signing on desk, the ladies worked hard to make sure all the riders had an entry and their transponder. The adult race of 2.5hours kicked off at 12noon with a strong start line of 6 rows ranging from experts to hobby/ beginners.
It was excellent rider Ryan Voase who showed everyone how it was done with the fastest lap of the day of 9minutes 24seconds, completing 16 laps. Adam Smith turned up with a late entry but proudly took home 2nd place with 15 laps and in 3rd place Alex Owen with 14 laps.
Clubman E1 winner David Appleyard snatched the winning spot from Harry Eccles by 15seconds and Luke Gorse taking home 3rd all completing 14 laps
Ride Off Road rider Rob Dawson led the clubman open class from start to finish on his Gas Gas and took 1st place with Steven Watson claiming 2nd 1 minute 21 seconds behind, both completing 14 laps and Matthew Ward in 3rd just missing out on the 14th lap by 3 seconds.
In the over 40's class of 28 riders it was Stewart Mowbray who showed a fantastic performance with a lead of just under 5 minutes over David Salkeld in 2nd and Rod Heald taking 3rd .
Sportsman E1 was won by young Mike Gilby who rode most of the race without a clutch with J.Webster just under 3minutes behind in 2nd and Julian Holmes in 3rd all completing 13 laps. Sportsman Open was an extremely popular class with 52 riders all competing for the top spot. Andrew Page just got through transponders 34 second before Simon Jenkins taking the win from Jenkins rider 302 in 2nd and Shane Marriot in 3rd all completing a strong 13 laps. Senior A containing riders of 14 - 16years on 125cc bikes was led from the start line by new True Grit rider Gina Bewlay who was very keen off the start taking the holeshot but soon was over taken by Lee Sealey who took the win, 4.5 minutes ahead of Henry Blundell and Isaac Archer in 3rd all completing 12 laps of the circuit.
Finally in the adult race was the hobby class for beginners where Alan Moorhouse with 10 laps took a well-earned win from Rob Marchant in 2nd and Mark Payne in 3rd.
Following the Main adult solo event and the final race of the day, The Driffield venue saw in excess of 20 Quad competitors on the start line for the first round. First away was the expert and clubman riders, Clearly enjoying the conditions in the expert class was David Baldwin, whilst not posting the quickest lap time of the day David proved that consistency would win this event and racked up an impressive 17 laps and 1st place with Josh Barrett behind on 16 laps and Lindsey Duke who posted the quickest lap of the day rounding off the podium in third.
Dave Thornton won the clubman/4x4 class nudging an extra lap on the rest of his competitors with 15 laps, he was followed in by Steve Johnson and Matthew Ambler in third both with 14 laps. The three riders posted times that would have seen them sit comfortably in the middle of the expert pack some riders to watch out for next year when they move up perhaps?
Scott Woodhead and Jack Naylor fought hard throughout the race to achieve 14 laps which secured there 1st and 2nd place result respectively in the sportsman class, and pulled two laps on their nearest competitor Jason Hill who finished in third. Results
Finally TGOR would like to thank all the riders, marshals, medical cover and admin staff for making this a fantastic event and we very much look forward to seeing you all in May.
Next round of the National Cross Country Championship is on the 19/20 March at Ellington Banks Ripon.
Results Report by Gina Bewlay. Photos by Sonya Bewlay
MuntjacACU Metzeler British Enduro
Championship
MuntJac Enduro 2011Round 1 of the 2011 ACU Metzeler British Enduro ChampionshipBrandon - 27th February Results -. Photos - Standings - Video
In bright early Spring sunshine David Knight has won Diss MCCs Muntjac at Brandon on Sunday 27th February.
All week long bands of heavy rain had swept across the country and drenched the Thetford Forest. In scenes that were reminiscence of last year's event, Saturday's ritual of "walking the test" was more like "wading the test". Fortunately some glorious early Spring sunshine was on it's way from Wales to save the day and - as an AC/DC tribute band rocked the sleepless streets of Brandon on Saturday night - some brighter stars began to appear in the sky overhead.
Sunday morning broke sunny and clear. It was an early start for the organisers and the riders with scrutineering between 7.30am and 8.30am. The first riders were away at 9.00am.
The special test was alongside the start and only five minutes away on the course. David Knight set the fastest time on his 530 KTM. He was 7 seconds ahead of the second fastest rider - KORRacing's Greg Evans on the KTM 350. TM's Stuart Edmonds made a smooth transition from motocrosss to skip through the tree in 3rd. 17 year old Australian Ben Burrell was 4th and Fast Eddy Edmondson Racing teammate Tom Sagar was 5th. The slick condition caught several riders out. Alex Rockwell and Daryl Bolter both dropped time when they dropped their bikes.
The 22 mile course was 90% new going and at the end of the first lap most of the riders came home in their start order. David Knight once again set the fastest time on the test but as the lines and the berms developed - it was much closer. Simon Wakely was second fastest on the Midwest Husaberg UK 250 with less than a 3 second deficit. Stuart Edmonds was 3rd and Alex Rockwell began his fight back by setting the 4th fastest time. ISDE team managers Dusty Martin, Mike Davies and Sam Davidson were at trackside monitoring the riders progress and possibly wondering if Ben Burrell has a British grandfather.
There was no test for the Championship on the 3rd lap as the schedule coincided with clubmen but there were 2 tests back to back on the 4th lap. Greg Evans dropped 3 places when he crashed on his third test. David Knight reacted to the chasing pack by setting the fastest time of the day - 6 seconds ahead of Simon Wakely. Alex Rockwell was 3rd.
The tests were an exciting spectacle for the spectators but Clerk of the Course Andy Waters had a sting in the tail that would split the top riders up into neat 60 second packages. The last 2 laps were tight. Mark Chapman had ridden the course on Friday & set the target time at 47 minutes. From this Andy had cut 2 minutes off lap 5 and another 2 minutes off lap 6. For tired riders on a tired course it was a tough end to a long day.
David Knight had no problems. At the end of lap 5 he had time to adjust his rear shock settings and change his seat. For the rest it was tight particularly for the riders on thirsty bikes who needed refuelling. The definition of walking pace in a ble tape area was stretched. To misquote Sting "a gentleman will walk but never blast through the pits on the back wheel".
With nothing more to do the support crews gathered around the clock to wait. Forty minutes later the distinctive thump of Knighter's 530 began to reverberate through the pines and in a moment he was over the line clean on time. He was the only one. There was a final special test but for many riders the 2011 Muntjac had been won or lost on the going.
David Knight led from start to finish and he won the Premier. Despite a recent back injury. Alex Rockwell was 2nd on the Midwest Husaberg UK FE390. He also won the Junior class. Defying his age Paul Edmondson was 3rd. It was is a magnificent achievement from a rider who first stood on the Diss podium over 20 years, Greg Evans was 4th. Like Alex and Paul he only dropped one minute on the final lap. Simon Wakely (right) was 5th. Alongside David and Alex only 3 riders set test times under 5 minutes. Unfortunately for Simon his lowly start position of 20th meant he was hampered by slower riders on the tight final lap and he incurred 2 minutes time penalties.
Tom Sagar was 6th. Ashley Wood was 7th. He won the E1/2T class and he was runner up in the Juniors on the ET James KTM 125. Ben Burrell was 8th. Daryl Bolter's crash on the first test left him with a big hill to climb in flat lands of Norfolk but he put in 5 good tests and finished 9th. Welsh motocrosser Jamie Lewis was 10th. Lee Edmondson in 11th completed another successful weekend for the Fast Eddy Edmondson Racing team. Steve Plain Gas Gas UK's Danny McCanney had a good ride on his first outing in the Championship class. He finished 12th. Mark Roberts was 13th and motocrosser Carl Nunn was 14th.
Neil Chatham returned to the British Enduro Championship having competed in the World and European Championship last year. Neil had been out of the scene for seven months following a broken wrist in Poland while competing for the UEM Promotional Enduro Team. A plate with eight screws in his wrist has seen a long road back to full fitness. Neil started cautiously at the Muntjac and built his speed as his confidence came back. Neil rode the first two laps without refuelling his KTM XC tank, this was a test for the final two laps to see if his Drysdale Motorcycles KTM 125 would make it to the finish of the final lap with enough fuel. Neil set off on his last lap without refuelling and without looking at the tank, he just rode as fast as he could. Neil made it home at the end of the last two laps with less than a tea cup of fuel remaining, but enough to get him to the finish dropping just four minutes and pulling his result up from 23rd after the tests to finish 3rd E1/2, 5th under 23 and 17th overall. It could have been so different if he had not made it, Neil was ready in his mind to push the bike to the finish if he had not made the check at the end of the lap and luckily he did not have to resort to walking the bike to the final check.
It was a disappointing weekend for the Race-FX team of Ollie Moyce and Jamie Paget. Jamie hit a tree and he broke 2 fingers and on his 5th lap Ollie's front forks seized. James Jackman was also injured after a big off that left Jacko dazed. Matt Ridgway stopped to help and he also lost time when he snapped the banjo on his rear brake hose. Jason Davies was riding well onboard his TE449 setting test time which would have seen him finish mid pack overall. Unfortunately, with only one lap to go, he experienced a problem with his rear shock which cost him time in the final two tests and he dropped down the results table to thirty-second overall.
Jack Rowlands Lewis Belfield Alun JonesMPS Racing's Jack Rowland won the Experts. The ex-motocross rider is a quick learner and has shown great potential in only a short space of time. After making a few small mistakes at the opening sprint event only a couple of weeks ago Jack was keen to show his speed and after dominating the Expert class from start to finish he claimed the top step of the podium. Jack led the class throughout the event, keeping a good pace and a cool head under pressure. Lewis Belfield was the runner up. Joe Deakin was also running in the top 5 before retiring with the bug that has dogged him for a month. Alun Jones was 3rd and REME rider Gareth Davies was 4th. Aaron Smith's birthday was not the celebration he was hoping for when he aggravated a back injury and he had to retire. With luck the 18 year old will have many happier returns to the Muntjac.
MPS Racing's Robert Johnson was the best Clubman. The sixteen year old finished 17 seconds ahead of Declan Halliwell who was the best E1/2. Mike Evans in 3rd was best E2 and Gethin Francombe in 4th was the best E3. Matthew Timms had a long weekend. He lost his fork oil on the drive from Wales & he had to replace the seals on Saturday then he snapped a brand new chain on his second lap.
Wyn Hughes won the Vets. Wyn's times would have placed him 2nd in the Expert class. Carl Tiley was running in a very close second until his bike began to misfire. Murray Thompson took the runner up. Mark Chapman couldn't match his target time and he dropped 8 minutes on the day to finish 3rd. Jimmy Mitchell retired after aggravating an old foot injury he picked up in the Brechfa a couple of years ago. Jack Twentyman also retired when his rear shock blew. Malcolm Barrett was ready to blow after the first lap - it may have been the local beer.
Birthday girl Kate Jones noted that this event was the first BEC since 1979 not to include a member of the Jones family in the entry although the paddock was awash with Jones's as Dylan, Robert and Edward supported ORE team members Matt Ridgway and Chris Hockey and ET James' Ash Wood.
As usual the Diss MC organisation was spot on with a presentation for the top 3 before they and their motors had time to cool off and the full results were online within a couple of hours. Results -. Photos - Standings
David Knight - KTM: 'I'm really pleased with the way the event went. It's always a tough one-day race and I normally find it hard because you can't attack the special tests properly because they're relatively short and mistakes are hard to recover from. But I really felt relaxed this year. The first test was slippery, but I put in a good time that meant I had a decent lead straight away. After that I just made sure I didn't make any mistakes and towards the end of the event I got a couple more good tests in. I did some riding and testing in Spain the week before the event so I was looking forward to trying out some of the changes we made to the new bike, and they worked well. I head to the States for 10 days of riding now before more testing and racing back in Europe.'
Alex Rockwell - Midwest Husaberg "Finishing 2nd overall to David Knight is like winning the event. The bike ran perfect all day but I'm still learning how to get the best from it so we are still working on the set up"
Si Wakely - Midwest Husaberg: " I'm very pleased with my pace & fitness today but a little disappointed to miss out on 2nd overall but I will now be graded in the top 10 start position so that should help when the check times become tight. The bike and team were awesome and look forward to the next race"
Greg Evans - KORRacing: 'It was a good event for me all in all. I was really pleased with the way I rode on most of the tests and my fitness was good at the end of the day, which made a big difference. I felt really good on the first test and put in a good time but then I fell on the last but one corner on the second test,
which cost me a little bit of time. After that I struggled on the fourth test a bit but came to on the last lap. The tight checks at the end of the event were really tough, but again my fitness was good. I stalled it once and caught one rider up but I only dropped one minute so I got fourth overall, which I'm pleased with.'
Daryl Bolter - KORRacing: 'It was just one of those days for me when things didn't quite go so well. My bike was great before the event, all the preparation the team and I did was perfect, things just didn't come together quite as well as I'd hoped. I wasn't riding badly, just not at my best. I knew the first test was going to be slippery but I was too aggressive, I just didn't feel good. Then at the end of the day I got some seriously big blisters on my hands. One minute my hands were fie, the next I was struggling to hold on. I lost two minutes but was only about five seconds away from dropping just one minute, which would have made a big difference to my result.'
Ashley Wood - ET James KTM "I'm absolutely loving my little 125 - firstly at the sprints and now here it has proven to be a stunning machine against some of the bigger options. Obviously I'm happy with my result as seventh at the Muntjac is a good finish and the track got really cut up in certain places. Once again the Diss club have put on a sterling event - Thank you to my sponsors for their continued support!"
Ollie Moyce - Race-FX Kawasaki: "Since getting back home we've located the problem with the suspension and I'm confident it won't happen again. Prior to the problem I was going well and was happy with my pace"
Jamie Paget - Race-FX Kawasaki: "The Muntjac can catch anyone out; high speeds mixed with plenty of trees can be a disaster and it was my turn this time. My fingers should heal pretty quickly and I'm looking forward to the BESC."
Danny McCanney - Steve Plain Gas Gas UK: "Overall I'm pretty pleased with my performance as I know I've got the speed. The tight check was extremely tight and I dropped some time which was shame as my test times were pretty good and I'm feeling positive about the forthcoming events. As usual my Steve Plain prepared Gasser was amazing - thanks to everyone who helped "
Matt Moffat - Steve Plain Gas Gas UK: "As I said at the sprint, I'm still getting my head round enduro and this is one of the first traditional time card events I've ridden. It was also one of the toughest events I've ridden as the course got torn up pretty quickly and yet the pace got faster and faster. I'm a little disappointed I didn't finish the day a bit higher in the results but I'm really pleased I made it to the end! I'm just going to focus on the next round of the BESC now!"
Bradley King - Steve Plain Gas Gas UK: "That was hard! I've ridden the Muntjac before and it always seems harder than the previous year but this year I made it difficult for myself really. I just made a few little mistakes but in this type of event it's almost impossible to make the time back up. I'm pleased with my fitness overall and just need to get my head down for the rest of the season. Thanks to everyone for their hard work"
Neil Chatham - Drysdale Motorcycles KTM: ‘I love it when a plan comes together, my dad suggested the strategy and I decided to go for it, I never looked at the tank until the last few minutes of the second lap and I had to back it off a little and I have never been so relieved to see the final check. This is Neil’s best result at a British Championship and it is all the more satisfying as there was a full entry.
Jason Davis - MPS Racing: "Although by the end of the day my rear shock was broken I'm happy with my performance. My pace was good overall and I feel fit which gives me confidence heading into the next two rounds of the BESC. Wyn has proved what the machine is capable of - all I need now is a little luck!"
Robert Johnson - MPS Racing: "I'm really pleased with today - I felt fresh from the start right until the end and the team's hard work is starting to show. Although he course was tough and got pretty rutted in places I enjoyed the event and can't wait for my next outing. Thanks to everyone who helped me today - my TE250 was unstoppable!"
Jack Rowland - MPS Racing: "I'm really happy with my result today! My bike was perfect throughout the day and I felt good despite the course being really tough. Now I've shown I've got the speed and endurance I'm confident about my results for the rest of the season. A big thank you goes to MPS and everybody who has helped me."
Matt Ridgway - Yamaha Off Road Experience: "It was a very enjoyable event. I rode cautiously on the first test and then speeded up on the next 3. I was pleased with my times which were in line with a top ten finish but unfortunately I had a bit of bad luck on lap 5 when a stump broke my rear brake hose. It was a tight check and I knew I would struggle to keep clean on time. Then I came across an James Jackman on the ground. Ollie Moyce and I stayed with him until the paramedics arrived. Back in the pits Dylan Jones and Steve Plain fixed the brake. Thanks to them. I went out on the last tight last lap - mostly for the experience - but I only lost 3 minutes. Thanks to Dylan and Robert Jones. Yamaha Off Road Experience and my pit crew"
Knight claims dominant win at ’11 BEC opener
KTM star wins all tests at Muntjac Enduro to claim well--deserved early series lead KTM Enduro Factory Team rider
David Knight has claimed victory at the opening round of the ’11 Metzeler ACU British Enduro Championship – the one day Muntjac Enduro organised by Diss MCC. Always a physically and mentally demanding event, for ’11 Knight well and truly stamed his authority on the proceedings by not only winning all of the five timed special tests but also by finishing the event as the only Championship class rider to remain on time and not collecting any penalties.
Making a great start to the one--day event Knight topped the opening special test by some eight seconds the biggest winning margin the Manxman has ever claimed on the opening test at the Muntjac Enduro. Going on to then top the second, third, and fourth tests on the fifth and final timed test Knight showed that the rougher the terrain gets the better it is for him as he again topped the time sheets by a considerable margin.
The fastest rider of the event around the sandy special test, Knight also showed his true class
by finishing the event as the only Championship class rider to remain on time. With nothing decided at the Muntjac Enduro until the end of the very last time control Knight was the only rider to complete the course without collecting any time penalties. As such he topped the event by over one-- and--a--half minutes to take an early lead in the ’11 BEC series standings.
Knight now heads to the States for 10 days of warm weather training in Florida before continuing his Enduro World Championship preparations by returning to the UK to compete in rounds three and four of the British Sprint Enduro Championship on March 19/20.
David Knight: ‘I’m really pleased with the way the event went. It’s always a tough one--day race and I normally find it hard because you can’t attack the special tests properly because they’re relatively short and mistakes are hard to recover from. But I really felt relaxed this year. The first test was slippery, but I put in a good time that meant I had a decent lead straight away. After that I just made sure I didn’t make any mistakes and towards the end of the event I got a couple more good tests in. I did some riding and testing in Spain the week before the event so I was looking forward to trying out some of the changes we made to the new bike, and they worked well. I head to the States for 10 days of riding now before more testing and racing back in Europe.’
Edmondson Racing Continued its support to the Fast EDDY Race team with its attendance at the first round of the 2011 British Enduro Championship (B.E.C.) “Muntjac” event staged by the ever popular Diss MCC. Just north of the famous American RAF Lakenheath Air base, we again endured the ever present rain that seems to follow the UK Enduro Circus so far in 2011 before a brighter race day on Sunday.
A reversal of podium position this week saw Team principal “Fast EDDY” himself take a well earned win in class and a very creditable 3rd place overall to become one of the most “ever present” names on the Podium in the last 20 years of Diss MCC Events! Well done to Paul and to his determination to regain a UK British Championship title as his years roll on towards the mid forty’s!
With all those years of experience under his belt he paced himself with near perfection to just miss his ETA time by a minimal 16 seconds that would have put him along side “Knighter” as the only other rider to have completed the course with out a “Road Time penalty”. Not to be, but a great result to lead the E1 – 4T class after the first round with a resurrection of motivation after recent events.
The team’s now permanent “Guest” rider in the shape of young 17 year old Aussie, Ben Burrell had another storming ride aboard a standard 2011 250 XC-F to claim runner up position in the same E1 – 4T
class to team principal Paul, beating last years championship winner Daryl Bolter in the process. Ben’s UK “Learning Curve” gave him a sharp reminder that our events can be hard work and very varied as the course demanded Skill, Speed and Endurance to be a winner. His 2nd place result showed that at such a young age he has what it takes on all three accounts to become a world class rider in the coming near future. A great start to his BEC participation and a combined well done again from all the Fast EDDY team around you, not forgetting a special thanks to Clive Thorsby for his helping hand and guidance during the weekend.
Staying in the E1 class, Lee Edmondson made a solid start to his 2011 BEC season with his special 125cc two stroke XC-E, to finish second in the E1 two stroke and a very creditable 11th place overall. A broken gear lever in special test No 3 should have showed a distinct loss, but an impressive time of 314.09 was only half a second slower than his next test time and better put as all his times were within a five second window throughout the weekend. Well done to both yours and your mechanic Joey’s efforts over the weekend.
Last but no means least and our E2 rider, Tom Sagar had a mixed race with some great early test times that would eventually put him just of the E2 podium in fourth place with a sixth overall in the championship class. A consistent performance in the first four tests was hampered by a big crash out on the course which resulted in a broken front mudguard and a slightly dazed bodily condition. The recovery for that sixth place overall was testament to the courage and determination that Tom is expressing for the 2011 season. There is saying is that “The Tough get going when the going gets tough”!
With all four riders in the top eleven places Bring on the rest of 2011!
Thanks to Tom, Paul, Lee and Benny (the riders). Jonny, Joey, Sam, Clive + Jim Pascoe as the team mechanics and not forgetting Big Dave and Mr Charles for their help as well as Abigail for the teams catering.
Regards, Derrick Edmondson. On behalf of Edmondson Racing and Fasteddyracing.com and their product partners new and old.
In his first British Championship Enduro race riding his Midwest Husaberg UK machinery,
Alex Rockwell finishes 2nd overall.
After a week of heavy rain, memories of last years event began to return but overnight the skies had cleared and the competitors awoke to a cold, dry morning. The course would be 6 laps, 22 miles in length of sandy, forestry going with 5 special tests spread throughout the day. The 2 new Midwest Husaberg UK team riders of Simon Wakely and Alex Rockwell started the day very cautiously as the special test was very slippery and a fall at this stage would be hard to recover from and set 5th & 10th fastest times respectively.On the second test both riders had become more confident with there Husaberg machinery and improved immensely resulting in setting 2nd & 3rd fastest test times which moved them up the leader board. Next were 2 tests back to back which would test the riders' fitness. Factory KTM rider David
Knight was first away and set a time under 5 minutes, then aboard the Husaberg TE 250, Simon Wakely set a time of 4mins 59secs with Alex Rockwell narrowly missing the 5 minute barrier by only 9 hundredths of a second. Determined to go under the 5 minutes time, Alex Rockwell gave his Husaberg FE390 everything on test number 4 and managed to set an outstanding time of 4mins 58secs which was only half a second slower than David Knights time! These 3 riders were the only people to set times under 5 mins all day.
Simon Wakely again kept up his good speed setting 3rd fastest. The leader board now read Knight 1st, Wakely 2nd, Rockwell 3rd, now came the crucial final lap, 22 miles in 43 minutes, this pushed man & machine to the maximum and only one rider checked in on time and who else but one of the best riders in the world, David Knight. Alex Rockwell along with KTM riders Greg Evans & Paul Edmondson were the next in but they all incurred a 1minute time penalty all eyes were now on Simon Wakely if he made it in on time he would be 2nd overall. Unfortunately due to his lowly start position of 20th meant he would catch slower riders and waste time passing them and after 22 miles of this incurred 2mins time penalties and dropped him down the leader board to 5th overall. This moved Alex up to 2nd overall and 1st in E2 & under 23 classes.
Alex said "Finishing 2nd overall to David Knight is like winning the event. The bike ran perfect all day but I'm still learning how to get the best from it so we are still working on the set up"
Si Wakely said " I'm very pleased with my pace & fitness today but a little disappointed to miss out on 2nd overall but I will now be graded in the top 10 start position so that should help when the check times become tight. The bike and team were awesome and look forward to the next race"
Strong BEC opener for Gas Gas UKThe 2011 Metzeler ACU British Enduro Championship kicked off this weekend with the Muntjac enduro held in Thetford forest, Norfolk and as expected the Gas Gas UK team of Daniel McCanney, Bradley King and Matt Moffat recorded some impressive results. 2011 sees Daniel move up to the championship class for the first time and the Muntjac proved to be a tough first event for the Under 23 class rider. Placing fifth on the opening test of the day Daniel found himself fighting at the sharp end of the pack early on and kept a good pace despite the course becoming extremely rough in areas. With his first four test times getting steadily quicker as the day drew on, Daniel went into the penultimate check, which was particularly tight, with a top five finish in sight. With everyone but world champion David Knight dropping time Daniel dropped five minutes and finished the day in thirteenth place overall. Despite sliding down the overall results table Daniel topped the Under 23 E3 class and finished fourth in the overall Under 23 class. Team mate Bradley King started the day well but after making a few too many small mistakes during the tests, ended the day in eighth position in class and thirtieth overall. New man Matt Moffat comes from a motocross background and had to adapt his riding style as the day went on. Initially setting some fast test times Matt encountered a problem during the third test and struggled to make up the lost time during the rest of the day, eventually finishing ninth in class. Once again the Muntjac lived up to its reputation as being one of the most demanding rounds on the BEC calendar - the team now sets their sights on the second round of the BESC in mid March.
Scottish Riders report from the MuntjacAt the Muntjac this year there was the largest entry of Scottish riders at a British Championship event south of the border for many years. There were too many to mention all of them but it is a great reflection on Scottish Enduros that so many riders have travelled down to see how they compare with the best riders in the country and presently some of the British competitors are the best in the World. All the Scottish riders who made the long trip to Thetford should be congratulated for their efforts.
Ricky Mair was top Scot finishing 4th E1/4 and 12th Overall, Ricky was as spectacular as ever in this event that he really enjoys and he has sharpened his skill winning the Scottish MX2 Motocross Championship in 2010. Once again he was mixing it with the established names in British Enduros.
Neil Chatham finished 3rd E1/2, 5th Under 23 and 17th overall, although it could have been so different if a risky fuel strategy had not paid off. Neil decided to run the two tight laps without refuelling in an attempt to pull himself up the result table as time lost in the tests can be made up if you can minimise the time lost on the last lap. The strategy worked and Neil finished the lap with just a tea cup full of petrol in his tank, it did not matter as he had made it, just!Fraser Norrie set a great time on his first special test and pushed all day, Frazer rode his Husqvarna with gritty determination and a maturity that belies his 18 years. Supported by his granddad and Graeme Barron he finished 4th E1/2, 8th Under 23 and 25th Overall which is a great performance for his first outing in the Championship class.Richard Hay returned to the British Championship for the first time since injuring his arm, lesser riders would have ridden in a lower class but he opted for the toughest Championship class and finished in an incredible 27th place overall.
Allyn Scotland finished as top Scot in the Expert class following a mixed bag of luck and there is no bigger critic of Allyn than himself. Allyn was just ten seconds behind his countrymen in the Championship class but he thought he should have done better. On the last lap Allyn came upon an injured rider and stopped to assist, the organisers gave him his lost time back finishing 5th E2 and 8th Expert Overall.
Brothers Drew and James Harvey travelled down with Rab Farrell and they were all looking forward to a tough but enjoyable weekend. Unfortunately Rab's bike packed up within a few yards of the start spoiling his day, but typical Rab, never one to let these thing get him down, threw himself into supporting the Scottish riders in the parc ferme. Drew finished 8th E3 and 37th Overall Expert and James finished 12th in the Veteran class, both of them admitted that it was a really tough event especially the tight final lap.
Hamish Patrick saved his best till last in the Clubman class, after setting reasonable test times he really 'pulled the pin' on the final lap lifting himself up to 2nd E1/2 and 8th Overall Clubman. Reports from other riders suggested that he was picking really smooth lines through the trees in his usual relaxed style finishing top Scot in the Clubman class. Liam Lamb finished 4th E1/2 and 20th overall Clubman, despite riding last year Liam found the last lap really hard work and needed hydrated at the finish followed by a bag of chips to get some colour back into his cheeks. Liam was satisfied with his fourth place in the E1/2 and he is looking forward to competing in more British events this year. Dean Reid was one of the most disappointed riders as he had made it up to 2nd E1/2 and 7th Overall Clubman after the special tests. During the last lap he just hit a brick wall psychologically and found he could not hold onto the bike with fatigue. 'The last lap seemed to go on forever' he commented after he finished in 8th E1/2 and 35th Overall Clubman,
although he has vowed to return next year to make amends. Nail Paton was entered last year but broke his arm in the Hare and Hound the week before the event and he was determined to finish this year as he had mechanical problems in 2009 and failed to finish. This year he made it to the finish although well down the order in 59th place.
Saving the best till last once again Murray Thomson posted a cracking performance in the Veteran Class. Sand is not Murray's favourite terrain and the 2010 British Veteran Expert Champion was probably the only person praying for rain on the day, it was not to be and Murray charged around the last lap to finish 2nd Overall Veteran.The Diss MCC Muntjac Enduro is one of the highlights of the year on the Enduro Calander, really well organised and the track stood up well despite the rain leading up to the event. Thank you to the team that organised the event and well done to all the Scottish riders who travelled down to take part.
Bad luck strikes Race FX Kawasaki TeamThe Race FX Kawasaki Enduro Team of Ollie Moyce and Jamie Paget had a frustrating opening round to the British Enduro Championship when both riders failed to finish the event. The Muntjac enduro is well known as one of the most demanding events of the season as Jamie Paget found out when he crashed and broke two fingers. With long stretches of pine woodland there is very little room for error and when Jamie made a small mistake on the going and clipped a tree he was sent flying into anther tree, breaking two fingers in the process. Prior to the accident Jamie was setting consistent test times which would have seen him finish mid pack. Whilst Jamie was being attended to, team mate Ollie was having his own night mare. After starting the day with high hopes and setting a quick pace his suspension developed a mechanical problem causing him to retire from the event. Obviously both disappointed with their results, the team now move on to the next two rounds of the BESC towards the end of March.
Ollie Moyce "Since getting back home we've located the problem with the suspension and I'm confident it won't happen again. Prior to the problem I was going well and was happy with my pace"
Jamie Paget "The Muntjac can catch anyone out; high speeds mixed with plenty of trees can be a disaster and it was my turn this time. My fingers should heal pretty quickly and I'm looking forward to the BESC."
Both riders would like to thank Kawasaki UK, Race FX, Talon, K4 Offroad, Watling Tyres, Acerbis, Akrapovic, ProPrinting.co.uk, MSM Insurance and Body Clinic for all their help.
MPS Racing take two class wins at the MuntjacThe opening round of the 2011 Metzeler ACU British Enduro Championship is one to remember for the MPS Racing Team with two of their riders claiming podium places in the Expert and Clubman classes. Ex motocross rider Jack Rowland is a quick learner and has shown great potential in only a short space of time. After making a few small mistakes at the opening sprint event only a couple of weeks ago Jack was keen to show his speed and after dominating the Expert class from start to finish he claimed the top step of the podium. Jack led the class throughout the event, keeping a good pace and a cool head under pressure.
Sixteen year old Robert Johnson was taken under the MPS awning last year and he is already showing great promise with a convincing win at the Muntjac. Leaving his competition for dead in both his special tests, Robert finished the day over seventeen seconds ahead of second placed man, Declan Halliwell and set a pace which would have seen him beat a number of regular expert riders.
Mean while in the championship class Jason Davies was riding well onboard his TE449 setting test time which would have seen him finish mid pack overall. Unfortunately, with only one lap to go, he experienced a problem with his rear shock which cost him time in the final two tests and he dropped down the results table to thirty-second
overall. Youngster Joe Deakin is still feeling the effects of a nasty virus picked up a few weeks ago, and was forced to retire before the final lap.
Although not an official MPS rider, Wyn Hughes dominated the Veteran class from the word go and ended the end at the top of the results table. Both of his two test times were twenty seconds faster than his closest competitor showing that Wyn has lost none of the skill which made him multi times British Champion. Onboard his TE449 the enduro legend was the only veteran to drop three minutes during his tight check with the rest of field dropping four minutes or more.
